Hellhound on My Trail

[River]

… blues falling down like hail
And the day keeps on remindin' me, there's a hellhound on my trail …

August 16th marks the day the Devil came to call on the King of the Delta Blues.

Bay rum, bourbon vanilla, galangal, hyssop, High John the Conqueror root, tobacco, life everlasting, and brimstone.

Am I really the first to review this? Wow! If I'm not, mods, please merge topics cos... I didn't see another thread for this, anyway.

So! Hellhound on My Trail. I have been waiting not-so-patiently for this one. I snapped up a bottle unsniffed and trusting, because it reminded me of Dean Winchester, and I'm a bit of a fangirl-- not to mention I love the Lab's bay rum note!

And the verdict? I love this scent. Love it. It's spicy and smoky, with a hint of something a little bit sweet but heavy that I'm assuming is the bourbon vanilla. The bay rum adds a big hit of cinnamon-spiciness to it that I love, and I've rarely been so glad to amp a note so much (it's the Pisces in me - amps alcohol ;P). The brimstone makes this wonderfully musky and smoky without being completely overpowering, and the rest adds a depth to it that works well even though I can't pick out individual notes beyond the ones I've mentioned.

In other words, as soon as I have the cash, I need a back-up bottle of this, because it's gonna be getting a lot of wear.

[hlinspjalda]

In the bottle: Booze, herbal, vanilla, and a floral.

 

Wet: Sharp smoke, booze, an almost citrusy herb, with an almost overwhelmed warm sweetness at the bottom.

 

Half an hour: Oooh. Gee, I actually like this! It's bay rum and some other herbs, still with that astringent sharpness I associated with smoke, and the warm sweetness at the bottom has blended in well. There's a dusty sweetish woodiness that's probably the galangal.

 

One hour: Subtle, warm, sweet grassy herbal. Can no longer pick out any individual notes save a hint of vanilla.

 

Two hours: Very subtle now, and a bit more masculine than before. I think maybe the bay rum has faded less than most of the herbs. But still warmish, and sweetish, and not at all like brimstone.

 

Three hours: Not much change. It really is quite subtle, and pleasant. There's almost a nattiness about it, a clean, genteel, tidy sort of fragrance to it. Must be the bay rum, more bay than rum on me, I guess.

 

Four and a half hours: Still natty. It kind of reminds me of old Southern barbershops from when I was a little girl.

[BaronLaCroix]

I actually suggested this one back in April, so when it was announced I literally jumped for joy. I ordered two bottles.

It came today, and I realize now I made a mistake. I should've ordered three.

Bay rum is one of my all-time favorites, having had worn some version of it for several years. I had some concern over bourbon vanilla, since I don't wear sweet scents well (except for Shango for some reason), but my fears were baseless, as it's bourbon vanilla, not just any old vanilla.

It's rich and deep and a little sinister, boozy and sharp.

It's the perfect scent for me.

[Methos]

When the bottle first arrived, I took a sniff, and didn't really care for it-- I found it a little astringent. A bit later I sniffed it again and put it on. Then, fell in love. There is an herby-astringent note, but it mellows and starts to smell like Vanilla-Rum tea that's been made into a chai-- warm with spice and vanilla. And yanno, there's something about it that reminds me of LoupGarou, but Hellhound smells more like a dog rather than a wolf.

[greenranger]

In the bottle bay rum.

 

On me, wet, spices and the bay rum. I tried this at will call, though, so I am waiting impatiently for the drydown.

 

Drying, I smell the brimstone and the spices. Then the brimstone fades away....

 

Dry, the vanilla comes forward. My skin does like the vanilla, and I like vanilla so very much more than I ever thought I would as perfume. The vanilla and the spices...I don't know which of these it is that is so heavenly, (galangal, hyssop, High John the Conqueror root, life everlasting) but, ...mmmm.

 

Vanilla, spices, tobacco, and just a hint of smoke to keep it from being over sweet. Now that it is dry I just can't stop sniffing my arm.

 

Oh, and the grey puppy dog on the label that is breathing fire? I'm not certain cute is quite the right word. =)

 

*edit the next morning*

Ok, even without the brimstone it doesn't get overly sweet. What I have left on my skin this morning is vanilla and spice, with a faint background of pipe tobacco. It *almost* smells like rootbeer. I am definitely in love with the scent, and I may have a little trouble testing the rest of my halloween order because of this one.

Edited August 31, 2008 by Aerinha

[suki]

in the bottle: the sweet smoky teak of both Glowing Vulva and Antikythyra Mechanism.

 

wet on skin: same.

 

dry down: same!

 

in all: not as complex as i'd hoped, but perhaps with a bit of aging it will get better.

[lefthandmade]

At first I was a little skeptic because it had a little pepper-y edge but that was clearly just my imagination playing tricks on me. Maybe it's the brimstone, but I think it was the smoky edge this scent has that threw me there for a minute.

Once I was past that, I liked it.

 

It's hard to get a hold of the bourbon vanilla but it's way in there with the bay rum.

I don't think this is a masculine scent necessarily, although i can easily see it on a guy. It's not very sweet but not all that dry either. I think smoky is at the forefront for me.

 

After drydown this one sweetens and deepens a little. I like. Which is good because when it was fresh from the mailbox I was terribly disappointed. I didn't think I could wear it but I can.

After drydown it's downright gorgeous. Sadly, it doesn't last very long on me. Just after gorgeous it starts fading.

[porcelina]

on me, hellhound is dark, masculine and earthy- though not so masculine that i would be adverse to wearing it. it's a smoky sweet vanilla, with a wonderfully earth quality. with the bay rum, it's just glorious. i was expecting something similar to antikythera mechanism, but this is a lot less refined and more complex. i ended up buying a backup because it is so fantastic.

Edited October 17, 2008 by porcelina

[Lionesse]

This is dark, and delicious boozy vanilla on me. I typically don't care for "boozy" scents, they can actually make me feel nauseated. But not Hellhound!

 

It smells like I've been nuzzling with sexy hunk-a-man. hubba-hubba

 

So glad I ordered 2 bottles!

[Dark Alice]

This is bourbon vanilla warmed by bay rum! Yum Yum, hubba hubba and Yowza! This makes me want to go put on my come get me outfit and pounce the fiance when he gets home! Definitely sex in a bottle!!!!

[CordeliaSeduced]

Usually, something with Tobacco and/or Brimstone just isn't my style. But I'm a sucker for the lab's Bourbon Vanilla so I took the plunge, and now I'm wishing I'd ordered two bottles!

In the bottle, this is very boozy. It's strong, but smooth, and it only mellows out further when I put it on. There is a definite smoky undertone to it, which added to the Bay Rum is a little masculine in my opinion. Any guy wearing this would probably have to watch out, lest I jump him on the spot, but I can wear this myself comfortably enough.

On the drydown, this fades to a very soft vanilla on me, leaving just the barest hint of smoky autumn to tease me with. I know I'll end up slathering myself with this like a fiend, which I'd do guilt-free if I'd ordered a second bottle!

[hkhm]

bottle: this smells like a very boozy drink. very smooth vanilla and booze.

 

wet: oh my. the tabacco warms instantly and mixes with the boozy vanilla... this is incredible!

 

dry: now i'm getting the bay rum scent. the vanilla is much lighter and creamy-sweet in the background. is there pepper here? i get the same peppery feel i get from aries.

[cam]

In the bottle, the bourbon vanilla is quite strong. I can also smell the bay rum and a bit of brimstone. On wet, it's pretty much the same, though I start to get a hint of muskiness. Dry, this is really great. Boozy tobacco and brimstone goodness. It smells especially nice on my hubby.

[foxroses]

bottle: quite herbal or astringent. i'm really hoping to get the bourbon vanilla out of this so i'm worried. i do smell some bay rum though. when i sniff the bottles of santo domingo (where i adore the bay rum and flowers) next to this they do smell similar.

 

just put on i'm still getting that herbs.. not sure if its galangal or the root..? as it sits on the vanilla comes out a bit but not as much as i had hoped. it smells really delicious but also kind of flat - it's so humid in here right now i'm going to have to give it a try some other time. definitely smelling tobacco. so far i'm liking but not loving it. a little more vanilla but i'm not getting a lot of booze.

 

this doesn't seem to have a lot of stay or throw on me. it just seems pretty flat.

 

[the next day] i put this on the boy and OF COURSE its delicious bourbon vanilla i need to try this on me again but i definitely didn't get it. its very strong on him. won't be getting rid of it if it smells that good on him though, just not for me

[kelthulu]

This is an incredible scent. I love the booziness, and that the sweetness is balanced by just a hint of brimstone. This is definitely one of my favorites, and I'm so desperately wishing I'd gotten more than one bottle. *sob*

 

[Pottersville]

Urk! Tested this over the weekend, along with Goblin Rider, Fearful Pleasures, and Harvest Moon, and immediately thought,"Desitin and Raffinee" (aka baby butt creme and Dana Houbigant 1980s oriental spice/sandalwood perfume). I decided that couldn't possibly be right, so today I'm wearing Hellhound on its own. Urk, I say!! I'm mad about tobacco, and the addition of bourbon vanilla had clinched the sale (to the tune of two bottles). I was expecting exactly what the other reviewers have found - a bit of earthiness, some astringence from the herbs, a masculine edge from the bay rum/tobacco combo. Instead I've got this weird, headache-inducing and very strident cheap perfume smell that is distressingly like the chemical monstrosities I wore in the 1980s. I can't pick out any of the individual notes because the Raid-like scent is overwhelming. The only thing keeping me from washing it all off is the desperate hope that it will mellow ... A LOT!

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Slightly boozy and fizzy vanilla with herbs and spices.

 

Immediately on skin: Wow… I’m smelling lots and lots of herbs. The scent is very herbal with a dry green medicinal feel and hints of spice from the bay rum. There’s also a dry smoothness from the tobacco. The vanilla lingers in this, kind of swirling throughout, but while it’s creamy and nice, it’s not really meshing well so far with the rest of the notes.

 

After a little while: This smells like watered down vanilla tea mixed with pencil shavings and faint herbs and creamy spices. It’s almost rubbery on me… I’m not sure what that note is at all. It almost smells like dragon’s blood far in the background of the scent.

 

Overall Impressions: I had high hopes for this one, but it doesn’t seem to like me. It’s a little too masculine on me and while I love vanilla blends, the note just doesn’t deliver on my skin here. It has an interesting herbal and slightly spiced thing going on, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

[QueenFae]

Dark, spicy, manly and deep smelling. There is a many layered depth to this blend, and each time I sniff it, it smells a bit different to me. When I first applied it, it smelled super spicy, and actually reminded me a bit of Red Phoenix. But, as it dried down, the rum and tobacco notes started showing a little more. Now it smells like a strong tobacco/rum blend with a hint of resinous herbal notes in the undertones. Very interesting indeed, a shape shifter for sure. It's very strong and long lasting, and definitely what I would consider a men's scent.

 

Deep and rich, but just not quite my thing.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Bay rum and a herbal quality

 

On Application

Spicey bay rum. No vanilla

 

Dry Down

Wow. Spicey and smokey. I actually get quite a bit of tobacco about 10 minutes into the drydown. I wasn't sure about this at first but the final result is awesome.

 

Rating (0-5)

4.5

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is earthy, peppery, boozey...

 

once applied this gets slightly medicinal and then settles down nicely...smokiness abounds

 

a beautiful blend for the cool autumn weather

[lmaunu]

This is a deep, dark scent that leaves the overall impression of spiciness on my skin. Whereas the bay rum in Port Royal is too strong for me, but works great on my husband, the bay rum in this is nicely tempered by the vanilla, so that it is definitely more wearable for me.

 

Although some reviewers mentioned that this is more of a man's scent, don't be put off by that since I think it works really well for women because of the other notes, which aren't as strong as I thought they might be. The individual notes blend together to create a warm, spicy, autumnal blend.

 

My skin usually amps tobacco, but I'm hardly getting any tobacco from this, even after wearing it for an hour. This has really nice throw, too. So glad I picked up a bottle!

[indybear]

I adore this scent!

 

First applied: Bay rum (but not a heavy bay rum), wonderful spices and a slight hint of herbs.

 

Dry down: Less bay rum but there's now just a little tobacco peeking out.

 

Later: It hasn't changed much since the initial dry down. I don't get any vanilla,and the spiciness is light and almost refreshing. The tobacco is still lurking in the background.

 

I'm so glad i got two bottles of this - I may hunt down more! It's an ideal autumn scent for me.

[livingdead71]

Hellhound is definitely very boozy in the bottle and somewhat on the skin, though it mellows a little. The bourbon vanilla, the note that really sold me on this in the first place, is very nice. I usually don't wear masculine scents like this, but I have to say I really like it! I'm glad I ordered it, even if it was just for the name...and because I suspected the bottle art would be adorable, and it is!

[iiinterstate]

as soon as the will-call reviews came in for Hellhound, I was alllllll over it. I'm glad!

 

For the first few minutes, this is very VERY herbal and spicy. My fiance says I smell like gingerbread. (not bad, but not what I was hoping for.)

 

After about 10 minutes, GLORIOUS tobacco comes through. I'm not getting any of the brimstone that I was afraid of, and the bourbon vanilla is starting to come to the forefront. Less herbal now, but still spicy.

 

An hour or so later it is the vanilla I was hoping for, and lives up to the hype. NOT a foody vanilla, its dark and heavy but not sweet. I'm so glad I bought multiple bottles of this, it is going to age BEAUTIFULLY.

 

Anyone who is put off by the initial herbiness should hang in there with it for awhile.

[SeaMonkey]

This smells like bandaids. It eventually dries to a smokey vanilla, but that only lasts about 5 minutes, when it turns to cinnamon bandaids. I really wanted this to work on me