Anne Bonny

[Djaeno]

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!

I get a sharp wood scent, kind of spicy, although I don't know if that's the patchouli or the frankincense coming through. It's also very fragrant, and it lasts for a long time on my skin.

For me, it seems a little one-note: woodsy spice, unlike some of the more blended perfumes I like. Which is not a bad thing; I like to wear it when I want a perfume that's simple and no-nonsense. Although I haven't tried layering scents before, I think this might be a good one to layer under my frankincense-based Chaos Theory, which doesn't smell very frankincense-y when I wear it alone.

[AuraWilkes]

This was the best sort of incense-y wood smell ever. It makes me want to dance around naked in the forest barefoot. It was strange, but this one stayed the same from opening the bottle to drydown. Love it, but I'll be keeping this one as an imp; won't be wearing it often enough to get a bottle. Good for my faerie side though!

[sparkleyturtle]

This smelled very strong on me. Very spicey and heavy. Guess it just doesn't work so well on me.

[mxtine]

WOW. This is the SEXIEST patchouli blend I've sniffed yet. The sandalwood note in this is delicious and velvety. The frankincense gives it a green-spicy smell.

 

I could slather this all over myself because it has such a silky feel yet it's not overpowering. I just ordered a bottle along with my get-em-before-they're-gone limited editions.

[SophieCedar]

Weow! Much more impressed by this than I thought I would be.. I was getting lost in sweet scents and got this to reel myself in. Smoky, earthy, with a soft red clay color perception. Beautiful grounded patchouli and sandalwood with great throw, not overpowering at all. The frankincense adds to the depth and smooths the edges of this otherwise potentially pungent combo. Wonderful. Debating a bottle.

[zmulls]

Oh my goodness, yes. Oh yes. How wonderful. I was worried that it would be a nice "lady" scent but it melds so nicely on me. Loved it from the first sniff. Maybe not bottleworthy but impworthy certainly.

 

Interestingly, I let my 12-year-old son smell my wrist without telling him what the name of it was, and he said immediately it smelled like the sea. And there's no mention of sea/ocean/water in the description. (Of course, he may have been smelling remnants of Ogygia on me, but I tried that one five hours ago and have showered it off).

 

It will go on my list of "spicy" scents next to Voodoo, and someday I'll have to pick a favorite to bottle-ize.

[Ryokumuji]

Woody, spicy, manly! Reminds me of this guy I see at work every morning, he comes in smelling like he rolled around in the woods. This was a frimp from the lab so I have absolutely no idea what notes are in it... Till now! I'm not surprised that there's patchouli and sandalwood in this at all. This scent isn't offensive or anything, but it's not me. I do think fans of woody sort of scents would like this though.

[ModderRhu]

ohhh man that's good sandalwood! it's got almost a creamy, sour quality to it. the patchouli smells like fabulous dirt. i can't really pick out the frankincense, it must just be in the background holding everything together. this is so simple but it's a masterpiece.

 

ETA: Bizarrely, this scent makes me hungry.

Edited January 18, 2011 by ModderRhu

[Ishtar]

On the recommendation of other forumites, I ordered an imp of Anne Bonny as a kind of homage to BPAL's patchouli - I used to hate the stuff, and BPAL eventually made me see the light

 

Well, I'm certainly not disappointed. The patchouli in Anne Bonny is bright, vibrant and fairly elegant. In that, it reminds me of the patchouli in Tweedledum, another favourite of mine (I'd be curious to know if they're the same).

 

The sandalwood picks up the woodsy undertones quite beautifully, and the frankincense, while very subtle, adds some definition and a hint of spiciness.

 

While Anne Bonny doesn't take you on a wild ride of complex morphing over time like many BPALs do, she certainly has sufficient depth and is blended artfully enough to keep you captivated for a long, long time. Very wearable and evocative, this to me is the scent of long-haul travel and adventure.

[ladyhyacinthe]

This was one of my first-ever BPALs, and continues to be one of my favorites. It's very resin-woody, and the sandalwood in it is a very...creamy sandalwood, I guess. I don't get much frankincense out of this at all, and the patchouli is soft and sweet and plays nice. This is one of the sweetest (but not sugary-sweet, just light) woody blends I've tried, and it manages to stay very feminine without being floral or at all girly.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Sandalwood, dry frankincense, and a hint of patchouli glow. A red scent.

 

On skin: Cathedral is the quintessential dark incense blend for me, and Anne Bonny is a reddened version of Cathedral. Black, dry frankincense brightened and smoothened by full-bodied red sandalwood. Patchouli is initially the weakest note, but over time it emerges and adds its deep glow to the other notes. This may be a simple blend but it has a distinct character: solemn and contemplative, yet with a bit of colour and a slight spring to its step. Colour impression is dark, rich red-brown. If Cathedral is a venerable, old, dusty and forgotten church, Anne Bonny was that church in its younger days when there was more life and sound within its walls. No, not really a scent I'd associate with the pirate queen!

 

Verdict: I love incense blends, and I love Anne Bonny! A beautifully simple but distinct blend. Incense lovers who like Cathedral, Valentine of Rome, Penitence and Midnight Mass (amongst others) ought to try this.

[calivianya]

Anne Bonny is a very dry resin blend on my skin. The Lab's sandalwood notes always smell dry to me. The patchouli just makes it deeper, and the frankincense adds a slight bright note. This is very good.

[venusinfurs]

Anne Bonny is the first scent I have tried that smelled like I really thought its namesake should! This is totally evil, mischievous, pirate woman.

 

In the bottle: Strong scent, smells of patchouli and is very incense-y.

Wet on skin: Smells kind of complicated for only having three notes! Soapy and dry, with a pungent sharp resinous scent lurking in there.

Dry on skin: The dryness and sharpness is still there, but the soap scent fades and it gets a little sweeter. There's something in there I'm really not a fan of at all. It could be the frankincense, as I've never tried a scent with that note before. Very woody and slightly spicy. I'm not getting much of the patchouli at all.

 

This is a unique scent, but I'm not sure it's for me. I might try it a couple more times, then send it to the swaps.

[yakiguri]

Very strong spicy woods, but these are dark, dank, dangerous woods. I like dark scents, but this is a bit foreboding for even me, and comes off a bit too old wood cabinet on me. I bet this would be crazy awesome on white elf, so I'll have to try it on him before I make a decision to keep this imp/swap/buy a bottle.

[stellamaris]

This is just awesome. Note to Lab, quit putting imps in with my orders that are so amazing I need a full bottle.

 

I love the "red" notes in this, they are rich and round, and the spices are heavy and lovely. This has the same "red" beauty of Red Lace, but more incense and spice. Perfect.

[Lethran]

In bottle: Mostly balanced. The patchouli is slightly stronger than the sandalwood, and the frankincense a touch weaker, but really, it smells exactly as you’d expect given the listed components. Wet: The patchouli is early, the sandalwood suggests a ship, the frankincense gives it claws, and a touch of paint thinner. Not my thing, really, but suits the concept just fine. Dry: powdery sandalwood mostly. It’s actually quite pretty on the dry down.

[Klolly]

Received my imp in a PIF and was so excited because I've been wanting to try a pirate blend for awhile now. Honestly, I'm a bit scared though. I'm becoming obsessed with the sweet scents so I don't know if this will "float my boat"

 

In imp: Rich soil. Very dirty smelling, like your hands after digging something up.

 

On wet: Hmmm, interesting. Something smells astringent, but the scent itself is very much like a tree smell to me. Kind of like tree sap and bark together. The sappy smell is sharp and sour, the tree smell is dusty and strong.

 

Dry: This scent is nice in that it makes me think of camping, hiking and woodshops. It's almost getting a herbal medicine-like smell now which must be the frankincense. Frankincense always smells like rosemary and resin to me and those catholic candles that have saints on them. I don't know if I like this. I think I do, but it's very unusual to me and confuses me. I'll have to leave it on awhile to know where I stand.

 

Later: I am having an experience with this scent that I totally would not have expected. My grandma had a lot of catholic stuff in her house and I grew up under her care. There was a garage behind the house that I would explore often and there was a box in it full of Christmas decorations and that smelled just like this. She also had some of those candles I mentioned earlier around the house so for me this scent definitely does not evoke pirate woman, it evokes Christmas and Granny and very happy and comforting memories. I'm very glad I tried this. I might keep it for days I want to look back but it's not one I would want to wear on a regular basis.

Edited October 4, 2011 by Klolly

[angelmecha]

In Imp: Sharp, bitter saltwater and heady wood. It doesn't smell much like incense in the imp but all three of the notes in this strike me (unsniffed) as they'd be incense-y.

Wet: A lightly spicy, woody incense smell. It goes on strong for me but isn't unpleasant.

Drydown: It softens a lot. Definitely, as has been said, a devious and strong woman smell-- I like it a lot. I still get a random salt smell, but overall this is warm and enveloping and a little menacing. This is a much softer sandal than what's in Fenris Wolf, my only other really incense-y love... I think I like this one more! It almost smells more like rosewood than the listed ingredients, with bark and dark rosey florals... mmmm.

Verdict: Good, I'll keep my imp and maybe get a bottle someday... we'll see if I get the urge to wear incense often enough.

[Ghost of a Rose]

Thanks for the frimp, labbies! Another hit!

 

In the imp: i can easily smell all three oils. This is the patchouli I remember and loved in high school; and which I've never been able to find again until now. The ones I've bought or smelled more recently are never quite the same and I don't like them as much. But this is it. It must have been the red patchouli that I used to wear. Interesting. Back then, we didn't even know there was more than one kind of patchouli. It was just patchouli, and it always smelled the same.

Overall, this is the perfect headshop blend; unisex of course. It brings back so many memories!

 

On me, wet: The same as in the bottle. Ahh, I love this. Not quite as much as I love floral scents, but it's close. All three oils are equally balanced - the patchouli doesn't overpower everything else as it often tends to do.

 

On me, just dried: No change. This is a simple blend, and all of the ingredients are similar notes, so I don't expect it to change much as time goes by.

 

After 45 minutes: I was wrong, it does change a bit. I don't know if it's my imagination, if I'm just paying attention to different notes, or if it really happens - but it seems like the three oils play hide and seek with each other. First one shows up, then another and another, then the first one again, etc. They take turns being the prominent note, going back and forth. At this time, sandalwood is strongest, with frankincense close behind. And . . . a gorgeous, amazingly realistic, smoky note has appeared, like burning incense. Outta sight, man! The smokiness is the crowning touch that makes this special, different from all the other headshop scents out there.

 

After 2 hours: The smokiness has disappeared, but the original lovely scent remains. Right now, patchouli and sandalwood are the most noticeable, and the overall fragrance is sweeter and softer.

 

After 3 hours: Almost gone, but the lingering remnant is pretty much the same.

 

My rating: 5 stars - a rare (for me) non-floral blend that makes it into the 5-star category!

[Lanolin]

Mellow, smokey woods that stay closer to the skin than I normally expect from patchouli. For people who love headshoppy blends but are worried about overwhelming others. I'll probably use this in an oil warmer rather than on skin, but I will use up the imp.

[glassdeer]

Guh. I wanted so badly to like this but... I don't. At all. There's something in this that I hate and I'm guessing it's the patchouli. I got my mom to smell my wrist and she just said "smells like Christmas!"

 

ETA: The smell of this reminded me of something from my childhood and it was driving me insane trying to figure out what the heck it was. It just came to me: Crayola Dirt scented crayon!

 

I asked my sister (a year younger than me) if she remembered the Dirt scented crayon. She gave me a look like I was absolutely insane. I held my wrist out for her to sniff and her eyes went wide. "Uhh... YES. Now I do!"

Edited October 15, 2011 by glassdeer

[Incendiare]

As much as I despise patchouli, this really isn't that bad. Red patchouli doesn't seem as dirty as the other varieties. It get a fresher vibe from it. In the vial, I can also smell the sandalwood in the background. Most of the lab's sandalwood notes are very dry to my nose. Red sandalwood is usually the only tolerable one but here, it is sadly a bit too dry for my taste. On me, the sandalwood dries up even more and I can smell a smidgeon of frankincense in the background but I probably wouldn't recognize it if I didn't know it was there. After about five minutes, it's basically nothing but dry sandalwood.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Anne PATCHOULI

Wet: Patchouli, maybe a bit of sandalwood?

Dry: Patchouli and lovely sandalwood.

Half an hour later: The sandalwood has gone quite powdery and sweet (though it's still lovely). Very strong throw.

[Kuba]

Oki doki so for me it's pretty much a lighter version of Cathedral.

 

I can mainly smell woody, resinous incense. It's not as thick and deep as in Cathedral, it's like a watered down take on it. The scent doesn't really morph, it stays true and has a decent throw and lasting power.

It's nice even though I can't detect any patchouli and I definitely prefer Cathedral for its deepness. Thank.

[opheliatrey]

Oh Anne you are a sassy lady. This scent can go from perfect wood and salt, staying that way all day. And the next to something funky akin to a stinky lumber jack. One her good days I love her like mad. Soooo to make her happy I need to get a scent locket. Anne you are pushy and get your way, to bad my skin try's to fight back.