Diable en Boîte

[jade_starlight]

There are few things more disturbing than a Jack in the Box. A strangely sinister, unnerving holiday scent: redwood, bitter clove, tonka, hemp accord, and tobacco with peach blossom, black currant, and red musk.

This one is pretty much all woods and musk on me. It's nice enough, but a bit overpowering and masculine for my taste.

[rayvn1]

Not so much strangely sinister as warm and interesting. Hard to pin down what I like about this scent. Lots of redwood and tonka with a bit of tobacco and musk. Some black currant to add a bit of fruit. I'm not sure yet if this is a keeper. I like it (?)... I have nothing against it anyway, but I'm not sure how often I'd wear it.

 

It does remind me of my boss' daughter who asked for a jack-in-the-box of all things for Christmas

 

Edit to remove scent description

Edited January 6, 2010 by rayvn1

[kakiphony]

In the decanted imp: Wood and red musk -- quite dry. There is a very faint undercurrent of a dark and slightly astringent fruit which I am betting is the currant.

 

Wet on skin/at application: Much spicier and fruitier than in the bottle. I would almost call this bright. The fruit isn't quite peach or quite currant, but is some combination of the two that my nose only registers as "fruit." It's less like an actual piece of fruit than it like some sort of dried fruit or fruit potpourri. With the clove/spice and the faint dry note I'm getting from the wood it really reminds me of the potpurri aisle at Michael's It's not awful, but at this stage I don't love it either.

 

Early dry down (app. 15 minutes on skin): This is surprisingly fresh and bright on my skin, especially compared to a few of the reviews before mine that mention lots of woods, tonka and tobacco. That's what I was hoping for with this one, but unfortunately my skin seems to screaming FRUIT. My right wrist is mainly peach -- dried and slightly dusty peach -- with an faint undertone of something vaguely tobacco-like. My left wrist is straight-up pot-pourri, possibly with currants and clove.

 

Late dry down (app. 45 minutes on the skin): Peach pout-pourri, straight-up.

 

Final verdict: I smell like the inside of an old lady's house. Not for me.

[PeshaRocha]

Wet: stale pipe smoke, generic men's cologne and wood--like a wood-panelled den used by a pipesmoker and never aired out

 

Partial drydown: redwood and red musk, with the musk being rather overpowering and irritating

 

Drydown: complex, spicy, warm, woody, just a tiny bit sweet --

Fabulous!

 

When I smelled this wet, I was hugely worried--stale pipe smoke is not my idea of pleasant, although to anyone who has loved a pipesmoker it would probably be hugely nostalgic. Then during early drydown, the red musk turned me off, being too strongly prominent for my taste. But oh the final drydown!! Definitely worth the wait.

 

This is perfection! Exactly what I hoped for when I read the description and other people's comments. I have numerous scents with wood notes, as I'm always trying to find a combination I truly love, and I always enjoy spice scents, too, especially clove and nutmeg. So I wanted this to be a gorgeous mix of woody with spicy, and it is. So happy!

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

Decant: Musk, Tonka and Tobacco

Wet On Me: Spicy Masculine vibe right off the bat on this

Drying Down: getting the clove adding to the musk and tonka and tobacco. WOW am loving this!

Dry: spicy masculine goodness. almost reminds me of the old Cinnabar perfume, but much better.

[Schmoozy]

 

This is strangely beautiful. Woodsy, smoky & spicy with just a tiny bit of sweetness from the tonka, currant and peach blossom to balance the bitterness of the clove, redwood and tobacco. Red musk is usually a bust with my skin chemistry, but here it combines wonderfully with the redwood to enhance the musky quality of the wood and tobacco. Not going to need a bottle of this, but I definitely will enjoy my decant.

[ladyjc]

This is a weird one for me. I got something that smelled like a high end perfume that seemed very familiar to me (at first). Then after it was on a while it went overwhelmingly lemony/citrusy. I thought for sure I'd get some red musk out of this...maybe some wood. All I get is a furniture polish type vibe. Not bad...I actual like the scent of pledge...just not what I was hoping for! I wonder if this is a batch variation and I'm almost tempted to buy another bottle just to see! Otherwise, I'm going to let it age and see what happens.

[Seismogenic]

Redwooood. That alone is reason for me to try this scent, but the other notes also sound wonderful, for the most part. I'm a little wary of the peach blossom and the red musk, but that's not enough to turn me away. (Nor is the fact that Jack In The Boxes are pretty freaking creepy.)

 

In the imp: Dry wood with clove and a hint of something indistinctly fruity sweet. Overall, a dark red sort of smell.

 

Wet on skin: Still dry wood and clove, though the currant is definitely becoming a much more major player now. I think the tobacco may be helping to smooth things out.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, this is currant spiced with clove, with a slight hint of tobacco behind it. I can't so much smell the woods in and of themselves anymore, but I can tell they're still there because I still get some of that quality of dusty dryness. At one hour in, the fruity notes have largely faded out, leaving behind cloves, tobacco, and a little bit of dry wood.

 

Five hours later: Oh hello, red musk! Where did you come from? Why are you pretty much the only note I smell right now?

 

End of the day: Red musk and tobacco, smooth and a bit sweet.

 

Overall: This was overall sweeter than I expected, probably due to the red musk more than anything else. That said, it still manages to be an ominous and dusty sort of sweetness, which suits the image of an evil Jack in the Box pretty well. I like this one a lot, but my one complaint is that I'm not smelling the redwood distinctly, and that was the main thing that made me go ooooh about this blend. I think I'm good with just a decant in that case, but I could change my mind on this one.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Not so unnerving as hard to describe. At first it goes through a stage that is mainly redwood and clove and I definitely catch the hemp accord on top of things. The hemp fades quickly and after the initial woody phase has passed it becomes mostly currant and red musk, a dark red, sour scent with undertones of sweetness and possibly peach blossom.

[fairnymph]

Dark amber/golden brown coloured oil. Sharp, harsh, STRONG. Manly! Quite bitter, very dark and heavy and earthy. I get a lot of hemp and tobacco ad some patchouli (though it's not listed) - the black, very dirty-gritty-rooty kind. Eek. Also the red musk, which is mentholic and untempered, and loads and loads of spicy bitter clove. And sweet, heavy, cloying tonka. No peach blossom or black currant and only a whisper of redwood.

 

Radically different instantly upon touching my skin - much softer and nicer. The peach blossom and especially the black currant immediately emerge, sweetening and brightening the blend. The patchouli and clove and red musk are all much smoother and less harsh. Only a bit of that gritty dirty rooty soil aspect remains. Best of all I can smell more redwood, clean and woodsy, almost citrusy. Unfortunately I also smell some regular old Pinesol-y pine. With the fake vanilla-esque tonka, this kinda reminds me of a cheap xmas candle now.

 

Uh, this is going soapy. What? And the hemp is amping, and I really don't like hemp. It smells like dirty weeds. THAT's what I'm mistaking for patchouli, I think. The black currant has amped up, and it's that masculine, slightly dusty, slightly sour sort of black currant note - not my favourite. The clove has amped up and the red musk is mentholic again. Also, this makes my face itch. The tobacco and redwood and peach blossom are nice, and they're here, but they're just overwhelmed.

 

The tobacco and clove really take over in the end. This gets darker, woodier, smokier - it reminds me of the Pinched, same type of tobacco note, and the tonka is similar too, though not quite as sweet here. The clove is the really sharp kind that my skin amps in that bad, bad way, and the red musk continues to be all-to-present. Still not liking the black currant and still hating the hemp, though they are background notes now. Only the tobacco, very light peach, and light redwood redeem this at all, but not nearly enough. Good throw and longevity.

[edenssixthday]

Diable en Boite - This is a really interesting scent. It's dark and woody, slightly spicy, and yet has a ribbon of sweet fruity-floral trailing through it. The musk and redwood are the foundation of this scent with the clove giving it some kick, and the peach blossom smells more like straight peach, giving it a sweetness that is quite enchanting. For the first time ever in a BPAL scent, the black currant is not turning to "cat pee" on me. This is a gorgeous scent, yet something about it -- something I cannot quite put my finger on -- is not quite "me". I'd rather smell this on my husband than on myself.

[zankoku_zen]

Diable, I don't know what's in you but its MAGIC.

 

Yes. MAGIC.

 

I get the same smoky tobacco note from Voodoo Queen (probably helped out by the clove) and the black currant is this bright juicy purple fruit that brings just the right amount of sweetness to the blend. I do get some red musk, but in combination with the redwood and the tobacco, it isn't too musky.

 

In fact, you end up smelling alot like the Queen of Spades, as the black currant combined with the red musk makes you almost 'plummy' on me.

[voodoocatwoman]

This blend starts out clove and wood. After a bit, tobacco comes out and tones down the spice a little. It turns sweetly spicy, a nice combination. I like it.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - A slightly bitter, slightly verdant musk scent

 

Wet on me - Green and slightly soapy

 

Dry on me - A bitter, dusty scent that eventually settles into musk

 

Overall - My skin just didn't get on with this blend

[SueTigger]

A surprise to say the least! I wasn't entirely sure about this scent from the imp, but I was intrigued.

 

Upon first application, Diable came through fresh and clean, which isn't what I thought I'd get from the ingredients. Interesting! I was ready to see how it would change over the course of the day. I was not disappointed. The more "bitter" tones mellowed out and blended nicely with the peach blossom and the red currant. Even better, the musk and the tobacco notes were not overpowering, but popped out every now and again for short solos, only to blend back into the choir with ease.

 

This one is a total success all the way around. Even this morning, when there were lingering whiffs of it on my pillow, Diable still smelled fresh.

 

The hubby approves as well. If I can find one, a bottle is in my future!

[heathercaley]

God Dammit. Why did I completely ignore these past yules? I did it to myself on purpose, and I hate myself for it. This is fantastic!!

 

I'm coming to realize that I love peach, but only when it's a supporting role to darker resin notes or red musk. Once applied, I get a nice whiff of peaches and dark red musk, with the sweetness of tobacco. God this is beautiful!

 

There's not much redwood popping through, nor do I smell clove. Don't matter though. I bet those notes are present, but just really adding to the underlying characteristics of "mmmmmm" in a cumulative type of mixture.

 

Oh wait... is that the clove I'm starting to smell? YUM!! Ooooh! And there's a bit of redwood. Nice!! There's also a bit of a bitter note. Dunno what it is, but it's not horrible, it's just adding something new. Guests are always welcome to attend during morph meetings. Bring it on!!!

 

The throw is light to medium

 

Verdict: Freaking YES! I need a bottle.

 

 

[cinnamonster]

Without reading the notes of this I would have said, it's like HOD res, and reminds me of frankincense and cinnamon with a metallic edge.

 

Now reading the notes,and a fair few minutes in, I think what I smell is the hemp accord, with an undercurrent of not my kind of fruit, bordering on fermenting fruit. I don't think it's me.

[sajiaidoki]

I get rich, smoky tobacco, hardwoods, and something sweet, definitely peach but in a really classy sort of way.

 

By coincidence, I first wore Diable on a late November night in '09 to meet up with friends I hadn't seen in years, and we ended up in a dark panneled, dimly lit, high end bar that happened to feature cigars...

 

Maybe it's memory association but I still get all of those things from this blend every time I wear it: The sweetness of being dressed up, feeling beautiful and happy and having a great evening; being somewhere warm and cozy while being able to tell it's actually quite cold outside (if that makes sense), with lingering notes of fancy cigars (or possibly tea?) that could very easily be tinged with sophisticated notes of lush fruits.

 

Yep, I get a lot from this one. Just now getting around to tracking down a bottle, or two.

 

[AnyseLawsBray]

In vial: Vaguely sweet wood.

Wet: Clovey redwood, with a musky fruity edge. It's not very strong on me, but that's a good thing- clove can be overwhelming sometimes.

Dry: It gets slightly earthier from the hemp and tobacco. As the blackcurrant fades, the peach blossom emerges and softens the already thin scent even more. I can barely smell anything! Definitely a skin scent, wears close.

 

Verdict: I got a whiff of the bitter/metallic stage mentioned by other reviewers near the end, it was a little weird. I suppose it fits right in with the description though. Not the blend for me, I can say that much.

[anaengel]

OK, I've been waiting the past few weeks for this scent. At first wasn't overly sure, but thought it would sound good, so I got a decant. As I kept reading it, it kept saying more and more to me of yes, perfect scent. And I am so glad I picked it up. Bottle is getting ordered with my paycheck.

 

When I get a sniff in the decant, I get a smell of clove that seems lightened by tobacco and must be the tonka because of the sweetness. This is pretty good and doesn't make me cringe or worry when I smell the clove like I normally do. It actually brings back memories of sitting at a friend's house and her boyfriend and other friends of hers smoking vanilla and clove cigarettes.

 

When I put it on, mainly I get the clove blending in with wood and the black currant. Within minutes, the clove is fading away and I'm getting peach and grassy. There's a faint bit of the black currant still, but more and more peach. There's a faint smoky in the very background I'm assuming is my body trying to bring out the tobacco.

 

In the end, it faded after five or six hours. Well, I'm not certain of it fading then, since I washed my arms and then there was nothing left. But, as it wore on, there were moments where peach and clove blended in together. Otherwise, it faded to woods and the hemp. As it did that, it lowered in intensity to the point where I had to sniff my wrist to get any scent. Of course, it never did get very strong to me to begin with. It was a nice quiet peach scent. It took me most of the time wearing it to realise that what it reminded me of was stewed spiced peaches. Very good thing to smell.

[angelicruin]

Clove and tobacco are top notes on my skin right after application. As it dries, I pick up the redwood, hemp, peach blossom (though very light) and black currant notes. Not getting any red musk out of this one. I think I will definitely keep my decant, though I probably don't need a full bottle.

[Upstart Crow]

Diable 2011 is all red musk and orange blossom in the bottle (yum!) and sweet plastic on my wrist . SO disappointing, especially as the 2009 version was one of my favorites of that year's Yules.

Edited December 25, 2011 by Upstart Crow

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: Juicy and sweet fruit with sharp woods

 

Wet: Chewy gummy candy mixed with dark burnt woods and smoke. It smells like smoking clove cigarettes in a lounge filled with wilting flowers and leftover desserts. My opinion of this keeps flipping; at moments the peach and currants mixed with woods is mysterious and beautiful, but then at other moments the tobacco and clove get too harsh. The red musk isn't strong, but it's definitely there, a dense layer under the other notes.

 

Dry: When dry, the sweetness is similar to fig, spiked with woodsy clove and a hint of powder. An interesting scent, but probably not something I'd wear.

[Ghost of a Rose]

My imp is a decant from the lovely Mellifluous.

 

In the imp: Oil is clear and is an unusual pinkish-orange color. The scent is a beautiful floral with a touch of redwood and currant.

 

On me, wet: I smell the floral note first, then in just a few seconds the redwood kicks in as the strongest note, with the floral running at a close second. I can also detect the clove. This is beautiful! - an unusual floral perfume. I'm already smelling a bottle in my future . . .

 

After 15 minutes: Peach blossom and clove, so gorgeous.

 

After 30 minutes: Clove is now the primary note, with redwood second and the floral in the background together with a hint of fruitiness from the currant.

 

After 1 hour: Already quite subtle. Clove, floral, a little currant. With just a touch of tobacco and musk.

 

After 2 hours: Almost gone. All that remains is a breath of clove.

 

Verdict: In spite of the tobacco, hemp, and spice, this is a feminine scent due to the predominance of the floral note. It is beautiful and unique, but doesn't last long on the skin. Reapply often, or wear a scent locket. My full bottle has already been ordered!

 

My rating: 5 stars

[Incendiare]

In the vial, I am automatically hit with a dry, wood note spiced up with some clove. Wet, the clove is more pronounced and the peach blends in with it. I unfortunately cannot detect any red musk, tobacco, and tonka. If you find a lot of the wood notes to be too dry, as a warning, the redwood takes over this blend. On the dry down, the black currant has peeks out a bit.