Eau de Ghoul

[persianmouse]

They all started telling stories, then, of how fine and wonderful a thing it was to be a ghoul, of all the things they had crunched up and swallowed down with their powerful teeth. Impervious they were to disease or illness, said one of them. Why, it didn't matter what their dinner had died of, they could just chomp it down. They told of the places they had been, which mostly seemed to be catacombs and plague-pits ("Plague Pits is good eatin'," said the Emperor of China, and everyone agreed.) They told Bod how they had got their names and how he, in his turn, once he had become a nameless ghoul, would be named, as they had been.

"But I don't want to become one of you," said Bod.

"One way or another," said the Bishop of Bath and Wells, cheerily, "you'll become one of us. The other way is messier, involves being digested, and you're not really around very long to enjoy it."

"But that's not a good thing to talk about," said the Emperor of China."Best to be a Ghoul. We're afraid of nuffink!"

And all the ghouls around the coffin-wood fire howled at this statement, and growled and sang and exclaimed at how wise they were, and how mighty, and how fine it was to be scared of nothing.

Dessicated skin coated in blackened ginger, cinnamon, and mold-flecked dirt, with cumin, bitter clove, leather, and dried blood.

I got a frimp of this scent with my purchase of Toad Hall at Bat's Day.

It was not something I ever planned on purchasing, because I was all 'Eww, dessicated skin and dirt', but I am so happy I got a frimp of it, because I love it!

In the imp, it smells of dirt. Dirt dirt dirt.

Once on, there is a warm sweet smell that reminds me of fear, or children. Or fearful children. It's like sweet, but not. It was bothering me that I couldn't place what the smell reminded me of, but I just finally figured it out. Candied ginger.

The candied ginger not seems to overtake the dirt smell the longer I wear it. I am really surprised at how much I enjoy it. Its completely evocative of its inspiration.

[SueDonym]

Bat's Day gift with much thanks!

 

The ginger in this scent is soooo dry and crisp it's Death Valley scary and happily so!

It may be candied, but you'd break your teeth biting into it...unless you're a ghoul. Then maybe it would just freshen your breath.

 

Because it *is* very fresh, almost lemony at first, and I do understand the reference to a slightly sweat-like edge, similar to what I get sometimes with grapefruit actually.

 

The ginger sits at the forefront and throws its weight around for quite some time, which I'm rather grateful for as my skin tends to just eat things so it's always nice to get something that lasts and throws.

 

Then we're a bit musky sweat-ginger-like...maybe that's meant to be the dessicated skin. Perhaps if Shub had a younger, smart-ass second-cousin, an embarrassment to the family who stole the milk from the kiddies and knocked over mailboxes as a hobby..but don't go all Shub crazy on me now! Seriously. This scent has teeth.

 

ETA: On full dry down last night I noticed what I'm assuming to be the non-ginger spices coming out a lot, which was pretty nice. Long lasting for me so if you've got skin that sucks scent up this might be something to try.

Edited November 18, 2008 by SueDonym

[zankoku_zen]

This one was definitely very citrusy and cologney at the beginning. It has since dried to this gingery leather with dirt. It's spicy, sharp, but the leather makes it's so masculine. BPAL's dirt note just makes this... well, dirty. If the husband wasn't off gallivanting with the Hessian, I'd try to pimp this out on him.

[butcherbaby]

another frimped from bat's day!

and another scent i wouldn't have tried on my own, because i amp spices and figured this would just be another red hots of doom scent.

 

in the imp- boy this IS spicy! SPICE SPICE SPICE is all i get- no earth, no blood, no dessicated skin. just pure hot spice with a teeny bit of sweet and some lemony fresh...something.

on the skin- did i mention this was spicy? oh lordy hallelujah is it! the lemon fresh note is amped on my skin, but not in the throw, which is strong enough to clear my sinuses. yes, really. every time i've tried it. i should wear this every day during allergy season.

after dry down the lemon disappears, and i just get the most lovely warm sweet spice. it's like smelling all the spices in the cabinet at once. it doesn't go red hots like fascinum or phantom calliope, or cinnamon rolls like shub. it's just pure spice with no foodiness.

i absolutely love this on it's own, but just thinking of the scents i can layer it with fills me with SQUEE- snake oil? snake CHARMER? sugar skull? czernobog? Ivanushka? i want to slather my entire arm with this and experiment away!

 

BIG BOTTLE FOR SURE!

 

ETA: a couple months later the sinus blasting spices have mellowed and blended a bit more, making it even better. i think aging is going to do this scent some real good. i really need to get a bottle of this and hide it away for six or seven months. only, i need to decide if i want this, ghulheim, or knucklebones, because they all seem to have a similar "non-foody hot spice with citrus" flavor to them that i really like. some serious testing and experimentation is in order, i think. and i really want to try this layereed with huesos de santos as well.

Edited February 13, 2009 by butcherbaby

[femmefatale]

At first I got sugared lemon (?) with spice, but as it dried down iit became less sweet and all about the spice! It's mostly ginger, cinnamon, and clove with a hint of citrus and leather. I don't think I'm picking up much of the dirt and blood.

Whatever it is though it's wonderful. It's a perfect winter scent and I think it would be great for layering. I can't wait until Mr. Fatale gets home so I can slather it on him, too. It's a unisex scent and definitely bottle worthy.

 

ETA: As it's been a bit longer, I'm not so sure I like this one. Something smells a bit...off. I'll need to try this on hubby before deciding on a bottle.

ETA again: Ok, I think I figured it out. I think I'm picking up some black pepper in it that always makes me sick to my stomach. I think this is off to swaps.

Edited November 22, 2008 by Femme_Fatale

[angelicruin]

Wet on my skin, this a bit lemony with something else....I can quite place, kind of like the smell of Crayola crayons???

 

Dry, I can pick out the leather, cinnamon, dirt, and clove.

 

I'm not sure on this one either. I'll probably let the bottle sit like Banana Peel and see what happens as it ages.

[sarada]

Dirt, cumin, clove and leather together are very enticing to me, and I imagined this might turn out like something from the Wunderkammer. It is quite unique though, I can't think of anything to compare it to in the BPAL catalogue but what it really reminds me of, on first sniff -- is cola. I don't drink soda, but this smells like the fizz and pop of a freshly poured effervescing drink as the bubbles burst sharply on your nose. The spice notes capture it perfectly, and the light, pungent note of ginger soars above all the rest. It could be ginger ale, or pepsi, or some odd store brand, I'm not sure, but it definitely makes me think of cola.

 

I do get the heavier notes slinking beneath -- the dry, scorched skin and leather crawl out after the fizz dies down. Perhaps the ghoul has come along to lap up the remains. The leathery notes beneath help to hold this in place so it doesn't fly away on a fizzy cloud.

 

Fans of ginger and spices who might be backing away from the dessicated skin and blood, should take a step back toward it and consider this unusual scent! It might be a little too soda-poppy for me, but I am going to keep it around for a bit since I haven't come across anything quite like it in BPAL so far.

[blacklacestatic]

In the bottle: Rich, wet soil

 

Wet on skin: Dirt and soil, lush green. Not a scent I typically enjoy. Really, truly earthy, and I mean EARTHY! Like wet soil all the way through.

 

Drydown: The spices come through a bit, so now it's wet soil with cinnamon and clove sweetening and spicing it ever so slightly. They are still way in the background behind the dirt note.

 

Overall: This is the scent of walking through a forest in the autumn after it has rained. Very green, very soil, very damp. It could also smell like a basement if your basement is full of mold. I'm sure there are a ton of people who will appreciate this scent more than I. I appreciate it's uniqueness, but do not appreciate it on my skin.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is hot ginger...

 

once applied black ginger and leather...and here comes that pepper!!

whoa~~slightly soily ... more spice and pepper and ginger with a wee bit o' cinnamon...

 

interesting...

[surlygurl]

Oh yummy yum yum!! I smell like ginger ale! This is so much fun!

 

At first on my skin: "Oh! It smells like 7-up, but spicy!" It keeps that clean crisp scent throughout while adding just a dash of sweet soil & herbs - not enough to notice, but enough to ground the effervescence.

 

But mostly it's a clean crisp ginger beer. Pretty!

[Lethran]

In bottle: This is almost teeth gratingly bitter. I am wondering if that skin is really grated citrus skin. The ginger and dirt aren’t kidding either. This is not an easy scent to handle. Wet: The initial bite sweetens as the resin warms up, bringing the other spices with it. There is still that grating citrusy scent, but it hovers over a cookie or perhaps a cinnamon bun. Dry: the dirt is lovely and the ginger/blood/cumin combination intriguing, but that intense unpleasant “desiccated skin” note makes this distracting and impossible to wear.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i was so excited to be able to swap for an imp of this! i really wanted to try it. i lovelovelove the Lab's dirt scents, and some of the leather ones. the blackened ginger sounded interested but everything else was kinda scary. so it has taken me awhile to get the nerve to skin-test it.

initial sniff: ginger beer (like ginger ale, but much stronger)

on skin: after about 15 minutes, the ginger beer scent has faded into a cumin-cinnamon-clove scent, like some sort of bizarre curry dessert (i don't eat spicy foods, what do i know of curry? i'm just blathering)

end verdict, after several hours: no dirt to be found, nor any leather. this is all spice, all the time. which makes me sad. so back off to swaps it goes.

[acidrica]

This is...wow. This has a certain note in it that I can only describe as 'evil'. Not evil in that it doesn't work on me...it just smells evil. To me, this smells like Al-Azif and Shub-Niggurath had a lovechild. There's ginger, but also a citrus-y note (a specific one, because other citrus notes hate me) that makes this smell disgusting. But in a good way. It completely evokes the image of a ghoul. I don't think I could wear this, but I may keep the decant.

[voodoocatwoman]

OK, I am nuts. When Eau de Ghoul first touched my skin, I smelled cola with lime. It is dry now and I still get the lime but I can smell the clove (which is probably what I thought was cola). It is a very interesting scent. I like it.

[nekogrrl]

In imp: Hellooooooo ginger!

 

Wet on skin: VERY spicy. I keep wanting to sneeze. Not just a teeny sneeze, one of those designed to clear ALL your sinuses and pop your ears.

 

Dry on skin: Still spicy, but the leather is coming out a little more.

 

10 minutes later: Oh I just got the dessicated flesh. And the blood. On me, it's not a good smell.

 

Verdict: Eeeeeh. The spices are a bit too heavy, and while the leather note was working this time (it's a hit or miss note on me), the flesh/blood notes are /not/ pleasant on me. And I didn't get any dirt, which was the note I was most hopeful for. It's going on the swap pile.

[alexandra]

In the vial: Lemon, ginger and a can of natural cola that's been left in the earth. Just a touch of pickled onion. I like to think it's a cute lil vial of ghoul wee.

 

Wet: Fizzy cola and cinnamon. The earth is far back in the background.

 

Dry:Dry, sweet ginger. Effervescent, light, happy. This is one jolly ghoul. For some reason I have the image of ghouls playing cricket. A sweet resin is grounding this on me.

 

I was looking forward to dessicated flesh and blood but I can hardly pick out the blood note at all. As Withnail said: 'I want something's flesh'. Nonetheles, Eau de Ghoul ischarming and happy-making. I want to layer this with a honey scent or something to bring out the vanillic base. And the name is amazing.

 

When to wear?:Summer's eve with a Dandelion and Burdock by the Cam, watching a game of cricket.

 

Makes me feel?: Giddy and giggly. Like Charlie Bucket after stealing Fizzy Lifting Drink.

[Blood onmy hands]

Eau de Ghoul is strange on me. I wonder if this has some sort of bitter grapefruit to it. It has an odd, sweaty, BO smell that I sometimes get from grapefruit oils. It starts off very citrussy and funky smelling. In the drydown, the earthier notes start creeping in. I can smell smoky leather, soil, and a metallic weirdness that's probably the blood. I can smell more and more of the cinnamon and spice when this dries down, and it starts to burn my skin wherever I apply it. I guess this is a spicy-earthy-citrus on me, but mostly it smells very bitter & dirty on my skin.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – A sweet, almost citrus-y ginger

 

Wet on me – That’s a very good ginger; sweet and warm without being foody

 

Dry on me – A surprisingly light airy musk, warmed by the spices

 

Overall – Not at all what I expected, but very nice indeed

 

[AmandaArcana]

This one really had potential for me, in the bottle it smells like 7-up, cola, and gingerale mixed together. When I put it on I got all that plus the leather...an hour later it turns to cheap laundry detergent.......

Going to give this to my man...then sniff the HELL outta him!!!

[filigree_shadow]

Well, this is a first for me. When I first put this on I could smell a little bit of dirt in it but not much. An hour later, I can smell just the barest hint of a dirt scent, and it's not offensive in the least. Just sweet. This is remarkable because normally anything with dirt/earth/soil in it amps that dirt note tremendously so it's all I can smell. Apparently this is the exception to the rule!

 

I think this is a very pleasant scent and I enjoy it a lot, but to me it smells like a man's cologne. Something familiar to me, but I don't know what it is. It just smells sort of generally manly. The leather isn't dominant but it's there, the spices aren't overwhelming but I can tell there are spices in it... it smells like a good scent for a guy. A little bit rugged and a little bit sweet at the same time.

 

I'll let my husband try this one and see how he likes it.

[tartchef]

Hoo, that's HOT ginger! Like really good, sinus-searing ginger beer, with a twist of lime... the cinnamon & clove are joining the chorus, too, and it's all I can do not to sneeze - and it's awesome. The cumin gradually emerges, salty & a bit sweaty, but I kinda like it

 

Alas, if only Eau de Ghoul stayed that peppery-hot spice fest... eventually, the dirt & leather dampens down the fire, and I end up smelling distinctly Yankee Candle I'll keep my decant for a few more tests, but I don't think this is a winner. Phooey.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Sparkling delicious ginger ale with dirt and spices. Fresh, tangy, and a touch cologney.

 

Wet: Spicier, with hotter ginger and distinct cinnamon & clove. Still very much a soil note, but it's not obnoxiously strong. The leather is light, and to me smells like the nice suede/worn leather note.

 

Dry: Dries very quickly; my skin seems to soak it up. Still incredibly sparkling. Clove and cinnamon amping a bit, especially the former. There is a mild metallic tang that could be the dried blood. Quite clean and brisk.

 

Later: The cinnamon is really amping now, too - turning a bit red-hot. The soil note, as well, is holding a bit too much for my liking. I wish I got more leather. Still no cumin that I can detect.

 

Summary: Not a morpher. Fizzy ginger ale spiked with spicy cinnamon and clove over dirt and very faint worn leather. Great throw & longevity. Unisex. Surprisingly light and refreshing.

[Apple]

Ginger ale!

 

In the imp and even more so on my skin, I get fizzy, sweet, ginger ale!

 

I'm trying to sniff out the other notes, but I'm not getting anything reminiscent of the dirt or leather or cloves that I'd hoped for. But that's okay, because I'm also not getting any cumin or dried blood, and amazingly, the cinnamon is not amping on me. The ginger is what is loud and clear, with an effervescent quality that tickles my nose delightfully.

 

The longer I leave it on, the more I can smell just a hint of a clean-yet-slightly-plasticky note lurking underneath that suggests juniper and that brings to mind Twenty-One and Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune Alone on the Winter Solstice. Thankfully it doesn't turn to full-on plastic the way Twenty-One does; it just stays clean and sparkling like Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune.

 

It's not what I expected, but I love it!

 

ETA: Several hours into the dry-down, the spices emerge. I can see why some reviewers have described a somewhat masculine, cologne-type scent, although it doesn't quite cross over into that category for me. It's much warmer now, but still clean and zingy. Great lasting power, too.

Edited May 19, 2009 by Apple

[edenssixthday]

Eau de Ghoul - What an odd combination of scents! The first note I smell is extremely sweet, followed almost instantly by the scent of dust and dirt. It's oozing sweetness, a sweetness that is quite unpleasant in combination with that dust/dirt scent. The only specific notes I can identify are dirt and clove, and the clove is subtle. This is an extremely well-blended perfume oil, but it's definitely not for me.

[Monster]

In the imp: Sparkling, fresh, effervescent ginger twinkling over a soft background of wet dirt.

 

Wet: First sniff on my skin I'm getting a heavy dose of cumin. Yowza! Mixed with the dirt note it almost smells like pencil shavings. I'm not so sure about this cumin note. When I inhale deeply, I smell/taste the cumin note in the back of my throat like I just burped up some Indian food.

 

Dry: As it dries the cumin note continues to stand it's ground and bothers me more and more. Underneath it I smell ginger mixed with a light cinnamon note. Usually, when dirt is involved, it stands out on me. With Eau de Ghoul, that isn't the case. The dirt note provides a nice background for the Ghoulies glide over.

 

Verdict: I think I would like this without the cumin note. To me, this smells like I put perfume on my skin with fingers dirty from cooking. A great interpretation from The Graveyard Book (which I love) but sadly, the scent just isn't for me.