Mole

[sarada]

The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.

Antiqued sandalwood, patchouli, and soft mosses.

Moles are special for me...in addition to having loved WitW when I was a child, I also love a serious of books called Duncton Wood which were for moles what Watership Down was for rabbits. Anyway, I like moles. Though earthy and mossy, this scent makes me think of a scholarly mole with a pair of glasses perched on its snout, as it reads through parchments in a dusty library.

The soft mosses are the dominant note, with sandalwood giving it a dusty feeling. Patchouli is not prominent, but anchors the scent in a dry, crumbly earth. I immediately thought of Two-Headed Goat, as it may share some similar mossiness, but there is no musk here in Mole. I also thought of Carfax Abbey, my go-to scent for dusty mosses in the woods. I don't know how long it will stay on my skin, since moss can be a fleeting note, but I can imagine in a locket it would warm nicely. It's a nuzzling, familiar scent, dusty and scholarly with the lore of the ancient woods. And as I wear it, the mosses are brushed away a bit and the glowing, warm woods become more prominent.

[euterpe414]

This blend is, like sarada said, predominantly soft moss underscored by faint whiffs of sandalwood and patchouli. It's very warm and comforting to me and seems like the sort of scent that one would wear while snuggled up under blankets in a cabin in the middle of the woods. (and oddly enough I also got the mental image of reading a book in this wooded setting, I wonder why that is??) Anyway, this is a lovely, lovely moss blend with a soft and cuddly feel to it.

[oakmoss]

I'm not getting soft and cuddly, alas. On my skin Mole is much more masculine and studly than I imagine Mole could ever be. ("Oh my goodness me!" says Mole, shocked.) There is a rawness to this scent, a roughness, that is actually making me a little jittery. Though I don't think this is something I would wear much, I can't bear to part with it, just on principle, so I'll tuck it away and see how it ages, and maybe revisit this review at some point. The art on the label also has me baffled -- I can see little claws, but no face. I'm squinting at it in a very Mole-like manner, I must say!

[GhillieDhu]

This is an extremely gentlemanly mole. (Despite the little white apron on the bottle art!) As other reviewers have said, the most prominent note is moss, which always makes me think of cologne and old paper. It's a crumbly green-brown sort of scent, dry and earthy but not quite dusty. The sandalwood is there but not overpowering, and the patchouli is more of a feeling than a smell. Mostly masculine, but I can just barely pull it off. This is Dee's hippie brother, who lives in a cabin in the deep woods with his books and magickal implements and feeds the rabbits every morning. I'm a little bit in love with him.

[rayvn1]

Heaven turns out to be populated by bespectacled moles. This is fantastic! Subtle and almost too light on me, but the depth in the moss and the slight spiciness of the sandalwood is warmed by the patchouli when it turns up about an hour after application. Such a kind, gentlemanly blend! I love it and am ordering a bottle straight away so I can snuggle up to this little guy as long as possible

[crebbsgirl]

I think I'm in love. I swooned when I first applied this. I was a huge WitW fan as a child and still am to this day. Badger was always my favourite character but I think I may love Mole's scent more. This is predominantly soft mosses, and the sandalwood lends a touch of spice here. The patchouli add a bit of earthy depth here. This starts out *almost* cologney but it never quite gets there. As it dries, it gets deeper and softer at the same time. This is a comforting scent. Cozy and cuddly like a warm flannel shirt that your significant other has spent years breaking in and now you're the one who wears it exclusively.

[porcelina]

soft piles of moss, a light touch of sandalwood and the barest hint of patchouli. mole is surprisingly soft, sweet and cuddly, in an earth way.

[Merrill]

I'm from the oakmoss school of Mole, apparently. No soft moss for me; it's all patchouli and a little sandalwood, and very, very spicy. I thought it was softening a bit on the drydown, but it's just as strong as it was wet.

 

Maybe a couple hours from now, it'll be different. We'll see

[MeiLin]

In the imp: A soft bed of moss.

 

Wet: The sandalwood at first, then the patchouli comes on strong; the mosses fall away.

 

Dry: This seems to be fading fast on me, or maybe it's just really subtle. The mosses are back, and it's a soft, dry scent, mostly sandalwood and moss with the patchouli grounding it. I'm not sure it's bottle-worthy. I'll have to get Sir's opinion and live with it a bit.

[Dark Alice]

In the imp: wet, dirt and cologne!

 

Drydown on skin: Delightful dirt with a smattering of sandalwood and moss. I like this....just not enough to purchase a whole bottle!!!!

 

D. Alice

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Moss and patchouli. Lovely and soft/warm

 

On Application

Oh, this is lovely. Slightly woody, mossy.

Dry Down

This has a cologney quality to it. More a bookish man than uber-masculine brute. I can almost smell some coconut in there as well. It is thin and metallic but warm much like some of the Steamworks scents and not the furry, cuddly scent it started off as. About 20 minutes later it's back to warm, sweet wood, moss and cologne. Lovely.

Rating (0-5)

4.5

[Hawke]

This is very cologney to me, but I like it. I'm still not entirely sure what single note patchouli smells like (I never really hung out with people who wore perfume of any sort and certainly no "dirty hippies" -- except my mother's friends. I digress.) I like it though. I thought I was smelling musk, but I suspect that it's a combination of the moss and the patchouli. I do also occasionally get a whiff of the sandalwood, a note I have learned to recognize. This is definitely a butched-up Mole, though.

 

I don't think I need a bottle, as I have several very masculine scents and I agree with a poster above who mentioned a similarity to Dee. But I will keep my decant, and maybe test them side by side.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Hawke

[samarablackcat]

I had such high hope for this one!

 

It sounded perfect for me; I adore mosses and sandalwood and I am learning to appreciate the lab's patchouli. But something goes terribly awry on my skin.

 

This starts out soft on my skin, but withing minutes turns to man's cologne. A sweet, tinny fragrance . So much so that I looked up other descriptions to see if this had somehow been mislabeled. But alas, it is just my skin. Although I prefer masculine scents, this is not the one for me. Perhaps in another incarnation, this will be perfect for me. Reminds me slightly of The Torure Queen, that type of metal smell. Ah, well, they can't all be the one!

[innocent]

Oh, the moss in this is much softer than I'e generally found BPAL moss to be. As a previous reviewer mentioned, it does remind me of Dee, though I think Dee is slightly more complex. A soft, warm, and not too masculine scent. Mole is pleasant, but not remarkable enough for me to buy a full bottle.

[Brianne]

It's definitely cologne-y. If it weren't for the soft sandalwood, this would be pretty generic smelling but the sandalwood really is pretty (VERY soft, definitely not the usual "woody" vibe here). It's nice and would smell lovely on a man, but not for me

[Schmoozy]

This is stunning. Mole is warm, soft and very gentle. The patchouli note scared me, but in Mole it is barely detectable. The lightest hint of patchouli mingles with soft moss and together they form a winning combination of earth and greenery. Light and dark. Once you add the antiqued sandalwood, this blend becomes even more dear. Sandalwood to my nose always gives off a woodsy feel, and this is no exception. I agree with other reviewers in that Mole comes across as a masculine scent, but it just gives it that feeling of a warmth and comfort. That feeling of being in your lovers arms and nothing else in the world matters except the two you.

[jade_starlight]

This is absolutely lovely. It's warm and slightly furry, with the sandalwood and moss taking center stage. It's a wonderfully comforting scent, and I'll definitely need more.

[lothien]

I love Mole!

 

I am apparently one of those that gets almost all gentle mosses, with traces of sandalwood and no detectable patchouli. It doesn't morph a lot from wet to dry. The wood comes in wafts but is very background. I get a sweetness that's almost floral, though there's no flowers here.

This is a soft, cuddly, comforting scent on me for as long as it lasts. Either I enviromentalise it pretty quickly, or it doesn't last terribly long, 2-3 hours. Might be nice for bed, or to try in a scent locket.

I may have to rub a little into the rabbit fur on my winter boots. Mmm. (I find if they smell nice it helps alleviate that I am wearing them because it's crappy outside. ^^ It's a great use for scents that I like but my skin devours.)

[anardana]

Another Mole lover here!! It is warm and sweet. I smell more sandalwood than patchouli.

[lainevierge]

I'm pretty torn about this scent.

 

It reminds me a lot of Norell perfume, which was my great aunt's signature scent. There's lots of memories there, but it's not necessarily a scent I want to wear.

 

No worries though, because as soon as it gets on my skin it smells just like cheap Halloween makeup. Eeew.

 

So, no love for Mole here, but it has pushed me to read Wind in the Willows, so it's not a total loss.

[Iceblink]

Spicy, warm, earthy patchouli and oakmoss. This reminds me a teeny bit of Luperci. It's very warm and snuggly, and could be unisex although it doesn't strike me as being overly manly. The sandalwood is becoming more prominent as it dries and it's just gorgeous. I love this!

[hlinspjalda]

Wet: Oooh, patchouli but not the typical herby kind. This is almost floral in its sweet rich darkness. I think I may be falling in love.

 

Half an hour: Wow, I'm loving this. The sandalwood gives a whole different feel to the patchouli. If the moss doesn't sour I'll probably get a bottle.

 

Hour and a half: This is really delicious, a very sandalwoody take on patchouli that succeeds in not smelling at all Indian. It seems as if it's going to go sour on me, so I'll just wait and see.

 

Three hours: The sandalwood is slowly souring on this one, either that or the mosses are going more tannicky. I regret losing this one, since it started so great on me. But chemistry will out, and sandalwood often betrays a blend on me.

 

Four hours: Now it smells like cologne and old man. In a good way, though.

 

Several days later, I'm still mad about Mole. I may have to keep it around for those occasions when I want to smell delicious for short periods of time.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is sweeeeeeet sandalwood and patchouli....

 

marvelous!

 

once applied this is so soft and warm and comforting....i adore it!!

the sweetness increases and i find this just fascinating!!

who would have thunk a mole scent could be so delightful??

[hkhm]

bottle: the sandalwood and patchouli are pretty tame. i mostly get soft, wet moss.

 

wet: wow. the sandalwood goes all warm and creamy once applied. the moss and patchouli are in the background being all dark and earthy.

 

dry: the patchouli is more prominent as this dries and fades a bit. the moss is definitely the backdrop. the sandalwood just stays yummy and creamy.

[Dark Sparkle]

When wet, Mole reminds me of the rainsoaked roots of a tree with fresh moss crawling all over it - later it dries down to a very comforting warm and earthy scent. I love it!