Anne Bonny

[buzz23666]

Named in honor of the most notorious female pirate to ever set sail. Wicked, cruel, beautiful, intelligent, resourceful and dangerous: a true role model. A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense. A million thanks to Juliana Williamson-Page for inspiration!

On me, this one is almost identical to Cathedral.

I didn't go back and test the two side by side but that was my first thought when this dried down.

I didn't much care for either of the two in that I am not drawn to the heavy "incense-y" types. I love these spicy, heavier notes in conjunction with others - but not all in the same bottle.

[keltic]

Back in the dark ages, Anne Bonny was my first 5 ml bottle purchased from the lab. It was certainly what all the cool kids were raving about, and I enjoyed the imp I got in my first order, so I figured what the heck, I'll take the plunge into full-bottle land.

 

I still have that bottle, and actually chose it the other morning to put on. I find Anne requires certain days and moods to be worn. She is strong and powerful, never tiring, so I don't tend to wear her daily.

 

It had been an age (if ever) since I read the notes in here, so it was amusing to find that there is patchouli (though red) in here. Patchouli and I have a long-standing hate/hate relationship, and I have come to realize I can't wear anything that has "patchouli" as a note. But I think I've found the exception clause: red patchouli in Anne.

 

Wet on the skin – there is a strong kick, and heady powerfulness that immediately made me panic and think, "oh no, patchouli!", but it instantly shifts to a spicier tone, more of a better lit area of the bad side of town feeling. It's still strong, enough to make me realize that I cannot put on as much as I normally would – one wrist dab and sharing that with the other and then the neck is more than enough. There is a definite hint of masculine in the scent as well, which always bodes well for my chemistry. I have no idea why, but men's fragrances smell dead sexy on me.

 

Dry down – things get rich and smoky now. There is an "incense" smell now, and I'm thrilled because no other incense blend works on my skin – it usually gets eaten and sucked away. Figures that it is one of my favorite notes and the one with strongest memory connections for me. The whiffs you catch during the day sometimes smell like fine tanned leather, sometime they hold a hint of salt air, sometimes it is wet wood. None of them notes of the fragrance, but this blend is magical and morphs into so much more. For something so strong (this has a serious throw and still is going strong at the 12 hour mark), it is enchantingly complex. The air of confidence, power and oh yes, sexiness is also there the whole time.

 

My well-aged (*cough*five years*cough*) bottle still carries on, and when it runs dry, there will definitely be a new one, because Anne is something you need to have for those special days.

[jesvet]

In the imp: Wood planks. Just like when you are standing in the belly of an old wood ship.

 

Wet: Still more wood planks. I can almost hear them creaking. Not getting anything else out of this one.

 

Dry: The individual notes are starting to sort themselves out, and I can pick out the patchouli and the sandalwood, with some nice spicy incense. It's an interesting scent, and not bad, but I don't think I want to smell like an old ship. I'll keep the imp but not springing for a bottle.

[ceej]

I wore Anne Bonny for International Talk Like a Pirate day on Sept 19. A perfect scent for the day, of course!

 

A lighter patchouli, not the dirty deep earthy kinds, with resin. And it's salty. I don't know that I get ship or sea. Maybe more sea air? Spray-soaked ropes?

 

coding fix --Shollin

[anomie]

I did too, Ceej!

 

It's so heavy and smoky on me that it gave me a headache. Like somebody tossed a few cones of incense on a summer bonfire. Had to wash it off after an hour before I got a terrible headache.

[arcticwolf]

Anne Bonny:

 

In the Bottle: incensy but bright; patchouli and sandalwood.

 

Wet: Mellowing out a bit, less bright, more heady. Sweetish and spicy (I think that is the frankincense).

 

Dry: Still spicy, but I smell less patchouli, and more sandalwood/frankincense. Which is good, since patchouli isn't my favourite. Although, I feel like the scent in general is a little light, but maybe I'm not used to how much to apply, since this is my first time using BPAL.

 

2 Hrs later: Very faint, but still spicy and woody. And positively amazing.

[fiddledragon]

Patchouli and sandalwood are two of those notes that I quite like, but have to be careful of. The patchouli here turns extremely strong, and the sandalwood is harsh and dry. Phooey. And the frankincense just never gets the chance to sweeten it out. Maybe aged a while it would mellow, but these are notes that I need something serious to tame on my skin.

[supremegoddessofall]

Delicious sandalwood and a hint of patchouli. Nummy and very much me.

[Naamah_Darling]

Oooo. In the bottle, this is woody and warm, a richer sandalwood and a less dirty patchouli than usual. Nice!

 

On, it has real kick, a lot of pirate bite. The patchouli is wonderful and exotic, the sandalwood is brisk and clean, and the frankincense give is just the right touch of pettability, like curly hair on a girl who could kick your ass. It's aggressive but friendly; rambunctious but could turn on a pin. A sexy girl who'll dance with you all night long, but keep an eye out, because she is a mean drunk and has lots of crazy ex-boyfriends.

 

This has a well-honed edge; the stench of unwashed hippie skank present in Vixen does not show up, nor does the sedimental, unpleasantly hung-over scent of sandalwood gone bad. Three ingredients that so often go very, very bad on me are so very, very right in this blend. I'm guessing that the difference between patchouli and sandalwood and their red cousins is what sells this for me. Indeed, this is spicy and fiery, like a redhead.

 

A scent that might swash your buckle or might just rob you blind. Woody, spicy, and with an incense finish that brings to mind a close, dark space strewn with exotic treasures. Avast! I give this one two thumbs up! Or would, if I had a thumb, and not this damnable hook.

[CoveredInRain]

I think I've found a patchouli scent that I can peacefully coexist with - red patchouli. I usually love scents that have a patchouli note, but get a wretched headache if it is the predominant note.

 

In the vial: Spicy, nice sandalwood lift.

 

Wet on skin: Uh-oh, distinct patchouli note taking the reigns, but it's tempered nicely by the sandalwood.

 

Drydown: Beautiful incense remains. The patchouli is definitely a supporting character in this one. My chemistry is very happy.

 

AB to me is a deadringer for Aveda's Eros, which I adore but find it hard to come by. Fantastic find - this one will be a full bottle purchase.

[maijasu]

I definitely get mostly patchouli from this, and it's a harsh one, at least on me. I can usually wear the red patchouli in BPAL blends, but for some reason, this isn't working out for me. It's very dry and masculine, although the incense does sweeten it up a bit eventually. I can see this being beautiful on someone with the right skin chemistry, and it also might be nice layered with something to soften it up (Antique Lace maybe?), but I think I'll pass it along anyway.

[SultryWolf]

Imp: Patchouli, woods, and a hint of florally sweetness.

On: Marvelous sensual resins and woods; actually does smell a bit like a pirate ship! Moderate throw and wear length.

[sofiaviolet]

The patchouli is very heavy. I can only just smell some sandalwood, and I don't smell frankincense at all. It's probably a great pirate wench scent, but as I'm not much of a wench (not busty enough), it's not for me.

[patsydarling]

In the vial: Smells like strong patchouli and old wood

 

Wet on skin: Still patchouli and wood, but then something bad started to happen (on me anyway)

 

Drydown: Somehow I smelled like an old, wet dishrag. I waited about 30 minutes to see if anything else came up, but sadly no. I washed it off, but the patchouli and sandalwood stuck.

 

The remaining patchouli and sandalwood wasn't too bad... but whatever happened in the middle just didn't agree with me at all.

 

Guess Anne Bonny will be my first swap.

 

[grifyn_whiffs]

I picked this one entirely at random from my imp hoard. I shouldn't be wearing the same four fragrances over and over! Usually I go over the notes in the blend (if a list is available) and ponder from there. I have to say, if I'd read the notes on this one, I probably would've gone for another as patchouli, whether it's red or black or just the leaf, is wrong on me.

 

This one smelled sharp and herbal in the vial, and the minute it hit my skin, I thought, "There's patchouli in this! AIGH!"

 

BUT, the sharp tang of the patchouli wore away within the first few minutes on my skin, and what remained after that was robustly... well... sort of nice, actually. Sweetish and somber (I DO like sandalwood), but the THROW only consisted of the patchouli, if that makes any sense at all.

 

Oh, well -- it was fun to try it blind like that, at any rate, and for all I know, this is a great pirate-wench-y scent. Just not for me, sadly.

[PilotKitten]

Patchouli, sandalwood and frankincense. All notes that amp up horribly on my skin. Ick... this smells horribly musky on me. Woods, wood and more wood. Definitely not for me.

[Mountaingrrl00]

I love wood and resin scents, and this one is right up my alley. It's like dark, polished wood - rich, deep, strong, slightly sweet. I don't get anything aquatic or salty, just a lovely wood/resin blend. I guess the red patchouli does start out with a hint of sharpness, but it's quickly rounded out by the sandalwood and especially the frankincense. It lasts about eight hours on my skin, fading to single-note frankincense in the last couple hours. The throw is light, but it's quite strong up close.

[Analise]

Out of the few that I've actually tried wearing so far, this is my favorite. For me, it smells lovely both in the imp and on my skin and the scent remains for hours afterward whereas with some of the others I've tried, after an hour or two, there's not much left to smell.

 

Besides, it's strong, a little sassy, and I like it.

[Faeried]

This wasn't one that I really enjoyed at first, but I set with it a little while and it grew on me a little.

 

Salty aquatics, woodsy, and florals.

 

It's a must for all Lady Pirates! ;-)

[jarvenpa]

I've had an imp of Anne Bonny around for a while (either a frimp from the lab, or more likely, a kind gift from a forumite...to whom I send thanks).

 

It was highly recommended in the time of my grand search for a "dark and sensual" fragrance (a search that has lead to a lot of my favorites, and also a lot of misses; it is fascinating).

 

So, today I pulled it from a pile of imps and thought "why haven't I tried this?" and slashed some with great abandon over my wrists, and was hit with a visual image of a very posh, dark haired beauty from say, 1940, sashaying in furs through a big department store.

 

It was PERFUME at its most perfumey, in the classic, dark, non sweet way of many a perfume worn by my aunts and ladies of the officer's wives club in my childhood.

 

This is a pirate? I thought, and shrugged. We could have the beautiful lady carrying a cutlass, I suppose.

 

The initial dark, intense, and heavy classic perfume scent (and my nose is not good enough to distinguish the various elements of it) gave way after about a half hour to sandalwood. Which is a nice scent.

 

And in two hours, a faint and slightly poignant floral.

 

It's not me, really (sadly, a lot of the intensely dark perfumes don't seem to be quite me--I think I need sweetness mingled with my darkness or something), but she's quite the lady, this Anne Bonny.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Heavy frankincense. I can see why people liken this to Cathedral.

 

Wet: I get hit with a blast of frankincense, but that is soon followed up by the sandalwood. I don't get much patchouli, but my skin usually amps the other two notes, so that's not surprising.

 

Drydown and wear: The frankincense and sandalwood mingle well and give this a nice redness--a touch of warmth that Cathedral doesn't have. It is funny that it is so much like a church scent though! I've got so many resinous scents that I probably won't get a bottle, but I imagine I'll hold the imp.

[amyberries]

Oh, this is wonderful!

 

I initially bought it for my mother, but after her disparaging remarks about 'dodgy perfume retailers' I bthought I'd play it safe and keep it. So I tested an imp, and... guh.

 

The soft, earthy spiciness is just perfect on my chemistry, which tends to sweeten anything already girly to headache-inducing levels, but brings this to smooth, delicious softness.

 

Mmm-hmm. A darker, deeper Dublin for me - I may end up keeping this for Winter/Autumn with that my Spring/Summer. !

[Voleuse]

Mmm. Earthy patchouli, dry sandalwood. Sweet and a little smoky. Dark, warm, with a hint of spice. The resin blooms after a minute, lending the blend a hint more sophistication. This could be a very sexy scent on some; on me, it's an intoxicating scent, but a little distant, despite the warmth.

[Gaidig]

Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.

 

In the bottle: It smells like salt-water soaked teak, the smell of a sailing ship!

 

On me: Knocked back a little -- mellowed. More feminine. Less patchouli. I like this red patchouli much better than the patchouli in Lust. I still get a whiff of the salt spray. It doesn't seem to have changed much at all, in general.

 

1 hour+ later: Same as when I first put it on. I like this very much, especially since I enjoy sailing.

 

[Edit] Anne Bonny has proven to me that it is entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. After liking it so much I applied more so that it wouldn't be just on my wrists, and OMG strong & headachey! It took a while to calm down, but by the end of the night it was back to happy pirateishness.

Edited January 16, 2007 by Gaidig

[SeaLady]

In the imp: Very pointy and woody.

 

On wet: Sharp sandalwood that makes me relaxed and happy. Cue many deep breaths.

 

On dry (20 minutes later): This is gorgeous. It smells like wooden chairs or a freshly oiled teak deck on a sailboat in the sun, and summer houses when it's really hot and there's a breeze. Summer houses smell like family friends that I love so much, who make me feel safe and happy. I was expecting sassy pirate wench, but this is a whole lot better.