Sacrifice

[Dark Alice]

SACRIFICE
(based on Del Howison's short story The Lost Herd)
The scent of a vampire cowboy: Sweetgrass and tumbleweeds, cedar and white sage, dusty, wet leather, woodsmoke, and blood.

I don't see a thread dedicated to this mods...but if there is please delete this post haste!

Wet in the bottle: Cologney leather....and it's very strong.

Drydown on the skin: Saddle worn leather....not like the leather in dead man's hand. This leather note is stronger...it smells like older saddle worn leather. And the cologne blends nicely with. It started out strong but now it gently fades in to the background. There is also something in this that reminds me of night. Nothing minty, but there is a cooling note mixed in there somewhere.

Overall: This smells like Eric Northman as a cowboy and coming from a long midnight ride. It's delicious and I am so glad I was able to get a bottle of it. Edited August 25, 2009 by Shollin

[GypsyRoseRed]

I get mostly strong cologne, herbs and cedar from this, which is a big disappointment, but my body chemistry's been so screwed up since I got pregnant and had my baby so it may be *me* and not the oil amping the notes. I do get some light leather on the dry-down, but this isn't even in the same league as Perversion, Quincy Morris or Dead Man's Hand, which are BPAL's sexy leather standouts.

 

Vampire cowboy sounds about right, since this is very much an outdoorsy scent. Nice. Just not very 'me'.

[The_Witching_Hour]

OMG – this is Doc Buzzard's younger brother (he has to be younger, right?? I mean he never ages as he's a VAMPIRE!) kept alive as the suave undead, roaming the Earth forever.

 

He's classy, sexy, smooth, wears expensive cologne and the hint of blood tells you he might be "dangerous".

 

Where Doc Buzzard has sassafras in the dry down, Sacrifice's dry down on me is woodsmoke. Reminds me that he's been around enough to heat up my blood…… after all, where there is smoke there's fire! Don't let your mother warn you away from this man.

 

Seriously multiple bottle-worthy. I finally have a new scent to love as much as Doc Buzzard and for many niche reasons to love him.

 

[slave1]

In Bottle: Leather love

 

On Skin: The leather in this is godsent. I mean, it is clean and beautiful. This isn't dusty and dry, it's much sweeter and full. There is a cologne note, but it's not too heady or overwhelming. Without a doubt, this is a masculine scent, it screams drop-dead sexy man. I made my husband wear it right away! Luckily, he LOVES it too. I wish we had a gallon of it. It is warm and has a slight herbal background. I am huffing my husbands wrists demanding he wear this as often as possible. The sweet cedar is beautiful and helps keep the smoke from being too strong. The grass note adds warmth and an outdoorsy feeling. The blood note is nice too, it's not pungent like I've smelled it in other scents. This scent is so beautiful, it is a masterpiece. I really wish my husband could wear this forever. It's my new favorite scent on him for sure. Plus the throw is strong (I love that) and it has a very, very long wearlength.

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is cedar and leather love...a total d00d scent....serial....

 

problee the best man scent the lab has to date....not for me at all but i am sure the boy will smell groovy wearing it

[ami226]

Wow! Oh me this is a leather and piney scent. It is so manly!!

 

I will have to try this on the SO, but this is definitely manly and sexy!

[fairnymph]

Dusty wood and leather with sweet musk below. I find this QUITE woody, heavy on the leather (which I agree, is unlike the other BPAL leather notes), and overall 'dry' in feel. It definitely conveys the concept. This leather isn't as powdery/chemically as De Sade and while it has a bit of the 'old' leather feel - it's not my beloved Dead Man's Hand. The leather seems sweet, a first for leather that I've observed.

 

Smoky - yes, but mildly. I dislike smoke in general, but I find this to be a lovely gentle smokiness, and I would wear it (though this scent is much too masculine overall for me to wear personally). I get a lot of slightly medicinal sage - it's a bit harsh - and maybe the sweetness is partially the sweetgrass, but I definitely can't pick that note out. There is a tang that reminds me of rusty nails, though I wouldn't peg it as blood.

 

It dries down to a dusty leather/musk/cologne/wood scent. It's quite sexy on the roommate's [male] skin, but too dry on mine.

[angelicruin]

Inside the bottle, it's the scent of oiled leather.

 

Wet on my skin, the leather note is strongest, although I am definitely getting some cedar & sage as well. The tumbleweeds note is very similar to Velvet Bandito, but that's where the similarity ends for me.

 

As it continues to dry, I do pick up a bit of dust and the slightest bit of smoke. There's also a hint of metallic in this blend, not sure if that is the blood or not, as blood notes tend to actually go sweet on my skin.

 

Overall, I would describe it as mostly a "leather" blend, as that remains the strongest note on my skin from initial application through drying phase. This has somewhat of a masculine vibe to it, but definitely wearable for the women as well.

[edenssixthday]

Sacrifice - What can I say.... cowboys and vampires = LOVE IT!!! I adore almost all of BPAL's "Western" themed scents, and this is no exception. When I first apply it, it smells strongly of leather and men's cologne, but almost immediately, that cologney scent dissipates. The leather is immediately recognizeable as the same leather used in Spanked, but that's where the similarities end with Spanked. Behind the leather is the copper-sweet tangy scent of blood that deepens and darkens the blend, keeping it from being merely another cowpoke fragrance. Behind that are gentle woods and and a thin layer of airborne dust. The cedar doesn't turn to pencil shavings on me as it often does, which makes me very happy. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous leather scent and may very well have replaced Dead Man's Hand and Western Diamondback as my favorite leather BPALs. It's definitely a unisex scent and will undoubtedly leave the wearer feeling a little tough and invincible.

 

ETA: You think this is awesome by itself? Then run -- don't walk -- to your nearest bottle of Humbug and layer a touch of the vanilla-sassafras goodness with Sacrifice. It's so good your head will explode.

Edited August 25, 2009 by edenssixthday

[alhbooks]

I ordered a bottle of Sacrfifice as soon as I saw it on the Dark Delicacies site and it arrived today with Giallo. I have more trouble separating out the components from the blend, but I can say that the minute I applied it to my skin, i raced back to the Dark Del site to see if any were left. It's soft, and sexy but not gender-specific, dry with a faint hint of the dust and tumbleweed...Ithink I'm getting mostly the leather tempered by sweetgrass and white sage, but if I hadn't read the notes, I'm not sure I could even be thast specific. In case case, it was love at first sniff.

[caseys]

Sacrifice

 

Snap Judgements: I have to be honest. I kinda jumped on this scent because of all the forum buzz, not necessarily because I have a huge fondness for western scents. I do really like sweetgrass, sage is usually good, and the right kind of leather can be very nice. Still, I expect it to smell better on DH than on me.

 

In the Bottle: I get sharp, metallic blood tang immediately. It really reaches out and smacks you in the face. There is a whiff of leather in the background.

 

Wet: The blood doesn't seem to carry over to my skin, which is a good thing. Instead, I get a leather that is very reminiscent of the leather in Doc Constantine. Sweetgrass and sage show up to smooth out the blend after about 5 minutes. Man, this kind of amazing! It is very, very mellow and surprisingly unisex.

 

Dry: Woodsmoke becomes much more prominent in the drydown, and I'd swear there is vanilla or some kind of dark amber in here. Whatever it is, there is a sweetness that keeps the woodsmoke from becoming too bitter. It also seems to hold the cedar in check, giving the blend a nice spiciness instead of that hamster cage vibe. So I've got soft leather, dry grass, sage, and woodsmoke underscored by a spicy sweetness. Very, very nice.

 

Final Thoughts: I feel very lucky to have gotten my hands on this one! It reminds me a lot of Doc Constantine, only sweeter and softer. I usually can't pull off the supposedly masculine blends very well, but I find this to be very wearable. In fact, I think it smells better on me than on the DH! This bottle will be cherished.

[rconklin]

A lovely lady on the forum was kind enough to pick up a bottle of Sacrifice from Vampire Con for me.

 

I had extremely high expectations for this blend. I've been wearing alot of really feminine and/or foody scents lately and I've been itching for something different. I've also been riding horses all my life and I love the smell of leather and the lab's leather note is glorious. I generally try not to get too wrapped up in scent concepts when making decisions, but notes that I love + VAMPIRE COWBOY?!?---I really couldn't stay detatched.

 

In the bottle this is smoke and soft leather and that pine-pitch note that whafts out of my bottle of Illustrated Woman (which I'm supposing is the cedar here). It is an incredibly velvety scent, like well-loved riding gloves that have been worn while feeding pine branches into the fire.

 

Wet on my skin it is all soft, supple leather. Well-oiled and worn. The sage and dust and sweetgrass are all there, a backdrop for the lonely cowboy.

 

As it dries, the cedar and smoke come to the forefront--bone dry and desolate.

 

And then there is the blood. A red haze around the corners of the other notes, perhaps a few dried streaks on the boots or gloves.

 

It settles out to a western vista: the grasses and woods; patrolled by a figure in leather, cloaked in the scent of the night's fire and blood.

 

It smells like estrangement and home, all at the same time.

 

I'm totally obsessed.

 

(Also, I'm watching Deadwood right now, so that's kinda contributing to this...)

 

In a way the scent baffles me. It's masculine, but there's something about the way that it embodies a lone figure riding through darkness with blood on his hands that transcends the gender line. If that makes any sense at all.

 

The blood note in this is actually really lovely and works perfectly with the other components--whereas my previous experience with the lab's blood note has been that it is very...hm...offsetting? and has not worked on me at all.

 

Sadly, the boy is not into smelly things and will not let me experiment with it on him, but that's probably a good thing since I can't stop snuffling my own wrists.

 

Also, as per my obsession with vanilla foody scents, I have already attempted layering this with my aged Inez (very light on the Inez) and I think the combination is quite lovely. (the cowboy and the grindhouse girl--who will possibly be dinner...)

[hlinspjalda]

In the bottle: Woody grassy men's cologne. Very nice.

 

Wet: Sage and leather, grassy with a tang. Leatherier than I expected, but nice.

 

Half an hour: Leather and what smells like vetiver. Dirty, black, outdoorsy, and sexy as hell. I want to chew my arm!

 

One hour: Strong leather and vetiver. (Vetiver? Huh?) The herb/wood notes I bought it for are definitely secondary. There's a sweetness, but the mind-clearing pungency of cedar and sage I was looking for is not there; instead I get something entirely hypnotic. I suppose that's appropriate for a sexy vampire cowboy!

 

Two and a half hours: A lot lighter and mostly leather now, with a bit of herbal. I liked and enjoyed this very much, but it's not so amazing on me that I should keep it from someone who really desires it. I'll re-home it.

 

[mamoyer]

Wet, Sacrifice smells of cracked, dusty leather, smoke, and musk. No difference in the drydown on my skin.

This is the most masculine BPAL blend I've ever smelled! My DH is a manly sort of guy, and loves Wilde and Crowley, and Sacrifice may be too butch for his tastes. I myself sometimes wear his BPAL, but it would be hard for me to pull off wearing Sacrifice to work...or really anywhere, unless I was camping or on a cattle ranch (and even then!) It's *very* evocative of a cowboy, with emphasis on the BOY.

I never sniffed Brom Bones, but Sacrifice smells just like I would expect Brom to smell like! No elegance or foppery, just pure man-scent, for the kind of man who works outdoors and with his hands. Very sexy!

 

Verdict: So nice to sniff, but sadly not a scent I would wear (unlike Crowley). I know a lot of people want this one, so if DH doesn't fall in love (I *hope* he does, so I get to smell it on him!) then I will send it on to a home where it will truly be appreciated!

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle, this smells like a sexy, woodsy cologne. There's something that smells like pine, juniper, or cypress in here, making me think of Golden Priapus and The Isle of the Dead. Slightly sharp, piney green, dark, and wooden. I also smell a warm, masculine musk. Of course, there are none of those notes actually listed :/. In any case, it smells manly, outdoorsy, heated, and sensual.

 

On my skin... this smells like a man in a leather saddle, riding his horse through a dry evergreen forest on a hot day, with pine needles crunching underneath him. I also smell a hint of the woodsmoke, but it's not enough to ruin the blend for me at all. As it dries down, the smokiness smells just like gunpowder on me. So, Sacrifice smells like hot, dry pine forest, worn leather, gunpowder, and an overall feel of rugged, manly goodness on me.

 

I like this blend, but I *love* it on my husband, and he loves wearing this type of fragrance. I'm very glad that I took a chance and bought a bottle of this when it was available .

[femmefatale]

Wow, I *love* this! It smells like smooth leather, cologne, woods, and just a touch of the outdoors. This is manly and strong, without being macho. There is something smooth and just a bit sweet that keeps it from being "Hello! Dude here!".

It smells like what I would like to imagine cowboys smell like (at least, clean ones ).

I can't wait to try this on dh when he gets home. If he likes it, I might have to hunt some down for him. (:

 

But that said, it's something that a woman can pull off also, esp. when she wants to feel confident and strong, but not overpowering or too sexual.

I am soooo grateful that a kind and generous forumite sent me a decant in a mega kick-ass surprise package.

[Lamia]

I also get a sharp pine/juniper twang in there. But it's mostly hot leather and smoke. Freakin' glorious, although my Philistine husband first said I smelled like powder, then like a closet.

 

We don't talk to him any more, he's clearly an idiot.

 

Doesn't doesn't last as long as I would like (applied at 8am, by 1pm it's mostly just faint cedar & tobacco), but that astringent hot leather scent is NOM NOM NOM.

[syrenemyst]

Oh! My! God!

 

This scent is amazing! I cannot really describe each of the notes, but I can say it is sexy and masculine yet, oddly, delicate as it dries down (at least on my skin). It's not overpowering and it's actually comforting, as if I were wearing my husband's shirt. As far as the aformentioned boy, he likes it as well and it is amazing on him too!!

[stellans]

This is a glorious leather blend, and I'm so very grateful to have a bottle! There was a bit of a cologne-y note at the start, but it doesn't last long at all. The very slight cologne note mellows into a soft woodsy-grassy leather, like riding on a summer day to your best wooded pasture. I don't get a blood note at all, which is a little disappointing because I love Dragon's Blood, but nothing I can't live with, LOL! This blend is amazing, a different leather blend than anything else I have so far; I am obsessed with leather lately, and this is a great addition to my collection.

[gingiemay]

This is an amazing leather scent. The leather is tempered by a grassy and dusty note that isn't sharp, rather complimentary. It's masculine yet works on me as well. It is incredible and I'm so glad I was able to track down a bottle. I get very little woodsmoke or blood, just a sage-y, dust-y LEATHAHHHHH scent.

[marared]

Coldfire had a bottle of this with her the other night, so I skin tested it as long as I was sitting there. It's a sweeter leather than I'm accustomed to from other blends, and for some reason I get a coconut vibe from it (and she did too, after it had been on my skin for a few minutes). Not like tropical coconut, or the coconut in Snake Charmer, but kind of a dilute coconut oil, if that makes sense. Not my thing overall, though.

[zankoku_zen]

Leather can be a problem note on this. On wet, this one does remind me to Quincy Morris. A 'rugged' yet 'soft' kind of leather (ie - its not overpowering or overwhelming). I can smell some of the pine and dirt on the drydown. It's masculine, sexy and very comfy.

 

I can totally see this being absolutely stunning on the right male chemistry. Not mine. But perhaps I can lure Mr. zee_zee into trying this!

 

ETA: EPIC FAIL on mr. zee_zee. It somehow ended up smelling like pine with a hint of leather. Yeah. PINE.

Edited September 22, 2009 by zankoku_zen

[Mamacat]

My dear friend Yvaine sent me a decant of this one. Sacrifice is the sexiest bpal oil I've ever smelled. It has the really gorgeous leather note, a bit of spice, some wood and a hint of smoke. I put some on my husband and it might have been even better than on me. I love it. My favorite oil in a long time. And of course it's hard to find!

[Ondine]

Leather's usually pretty awful on me (except in Spanked where I can't smell it) but here I don't smell leather. In fact, if I had to say what this smells like on me, I'd say Schwarzer Mond 2006. Weird, huh? I didn't think they'd have any notes in common, but they smell nearly exact on me. I like SM06, so this isn't bad, but I was expecting something very different.

[boxinghelena]

I wanted to love this one. Sadly, I have to realize that leather doesn't work with my skin chemistry. Woods either. My skin is soooo picky. It's not a horrible scent on me but it's something I don't want to smell because it kinda just all blends into something generic on me.