Gacela of the Dark Death

[fairestrocza]

Terebinth pine, pitch, and clove.

In the Imp: Warm, light evergreen scent & sweet resin with a soft, fresh clove

 

Wet on Skin: An initial brief blast of evergreen, then the clove emerges and definitely becomes noticable on the skin. It is a kitcheny clove, not smoky and not In Your Face

While Drying: The clove, terebinth pine and pitch blend beautifully, nothing overwhelming any of the aspects; woody plus kitcheny clove

After a Little While: The terebinth pine and/or pitch subtly add a bit of freshness and keep the clove from being too heavy; the clove develops a slight sweetness

Later: After an hour or so, the clove tones down significantly on the wrists, but is still present in elbows; After a few hours, this heads in a slightly cloying direction; a couple of hours later, the cloying aspect dissipates; scent is much fainter, vaguely woodsy with a sweet overtone (The Boy says: faintly sprucey with an almost-decaying note, maybe a soft wood); 6 hrs later: I'm left with a faint spiciness - nice, but hard to detect.

Final Thoughts: I like oils with few notes because they help train my nose - I got this decant on an experimental impulse, but might end up with a bottle. I've done several skin tests trying to make up my mind. I expected a dark, syrupy oil and a powerful, dark aroma - both the oil and the scent are lighter and more delicate than I expected. I like the early stage. Still not sure if that cloying phase negates the bottle-worthiness. This smells good on one of my friends too - might end up splitting a bottle with her.

Gacela of the Dark Death earns a 3.5/5 or 4/5 on my skin.

(edited to add scent description)

[Lethran]

In bottle: The pitch is a little strong, but it’s lovely. I like the pine and clove with the pitch hear. It’s rough, but in a good way. Wet: The pitch is still a tad to much, but it’s rough hewn beauty really comes out with the warmth of skin. The pitch really butches up the pine and the clove stays soft, but lovely. Dry: Ooooo! Lovely lovely clove over wood. I think I’m in love. It really smoothes out. I didn’t mind the rough sailor lovin, but this is clove cigarettes in an aged pine box.

[voodoocatwoman]

Can you say CLOVE? I knew that you could.

[edenssixthday]

Gacela of the Dark Death - When I sniff the bottle up close, I smell something gorgeous and amazing. It kind of reminds me of what I smell when I open up my BPAL drawer for my "dark/sexy/autumn" scents. When I open the bottle, all I smell is pitch. Heavy, thick, syrupy, and slightly astringent pitch. Within two minutes, the clove starts to warm up on my skin, and as clove will usually do on me, begins to rear its head and roar...and roar...and ROAR. Oh yes, in the end, this is a clove single note on me. On me, clove is like the bad guy in an old Western film, who comes charging into town, guns a'blazing, shooting and killing all the good guys, rapes the women, drinks the whiskey, robs the bank, and then proceeds to gallop around town, shooting his gun randomly into the air as a sign of his victory, gloating in the faces of all the cowards, women and children who wish they had the will and the skill to draw and quarter him because he just killed everyone they love and they want to see him die. Yup, that's what clove is like on me.

 

I actually think I would like this on someone else like my husband. Just not on me. My skin and clove don't play so well together.

[fairnymph]

Eden, I can see we have similar skin chemistry bc clove is an asshole on me, too.

 

Extremely pale lemon yellow oil. Pine needles, deep pine resin, and strong woody clove - this is not as sharp as I expected, but it's dark, intense, and mentholic, almost medicinal. The pine and pitch are strong than the clove. This is also surprisingly sweet in a resinous/woody/deep sort of way.

 

Sharper, more sour, with more traditional BPAL pine (aka cheap nasty pinesol) and also much more clove, very woody-spicy, it reminds me of mulled cider and pomanders, a cold-weather almost-foody note. Less sweet, and brighter as a result of the sourness - which is almost citrusy - yeah, I do think there is some type of citrus here, bc the pomander association is strong. The pitch has settled below though it's still very strong, with the pine, clove, and citrusy note on top. Still pretty mentholic-medicinal.

 

Oh it's definitely sweet orange, and it has amped as this is drying - it's beautiful and juicy, with fruit, pith, and peel, like a whole orange freshly crushed - it reminds me greatly of Gaiman's Orange - the very same note. The clove unfortunately has amped - it's that sharp, sort of plastic-chemical, medicinal-mentholic type that my skin always amps. It's spicy and woody, but more so sharp. The pine has calmed down a bit and lost most of its fake edge, revealing more of the pitch instead, which is a much nicer note - deep, dark, and surprisingly smooth. Less intense throw overall as it dries.

 

That damn clove just keeps amping and it's so, so intense and sharp; also, the pine pitch has turned somewhat from resin to incense - it's gone all smoky, and I don't like smoky. So basically it's piney CLOVE INCENSE trying to smother some delicious sweet orange which is holding on, but just can't really compete. Of course, the one time an orange note holds on my skin, it has be under the rule of CLOVE INCENSE. Fail! Very strong throw throughout, and powerful longevity. Pretty unisex, I'd say.

[sarandipitee]

This is mainly pine mixed with CLOVE, giant shiney CLOVE that my skin actually eats until there is nada left but soapy spice.

[zankoku_zen]

So on wet there is definitely PINE and a slight orange twist to it. The orange goes sour so it makes the pine smell off, but it dries to a rather masculine delicious clove. Mmm.

 

I have found I tend to enjoy my clove when it is mixed with other things, or it ends up to masculine on me.

[donnatron]

Imp: Pine pitch and clove. In the imp this is gorgeous.

 

Wet: But I know better. On my skin this is a very realistic pine pitch note, a nice warm clove note and what's the other amazing realistic scent? Oh right. Blood. Clove always smells spectacularly bloody on my skin and this is no exception.

 

Dry: Some of the spiciness comes back from the clove but for the most part it remains blood. Rotting blood. Or at least blood and BO. And I actually love blood accord and skin-chemistry-clove-blood freaks me out. That's how... is... it is. It's like a slasher movie in a pine forest. Creepy.

 

Throw: Moderate.

 

Overall: So while sniffing this and trying to articulate the difference between blood accord and the blood scent clove conjures up on my chemistry, I realized that clove blood scent kind of smells like sweat as well. It's like a hideous miasma of body fluids. Do not want.

[heathercaley]

Another favorite. I love pine and pitch and clove. This is reminiscent of pickled imp sans cinnamon. Under the pine and pitch and spicy clove, there's a sweet note. Almost like juice. Aha! Somebody else said orange. It almost does have an orangy tang.

 

 

As it dries down, the fruity note ripens up a little. The throw is medium to strong. I love it!!!

 

 

Verdict: Sexy chicks running through a humid forest... and cloves. Win!!!

[Vega]

I tried Gacela of the Dark Death early in my BPAL days, and to this day (after testing almost 300 scents) it is the only blend that has actually induced a violent gut response in me. I can't explain why I responded so primally. All I can say is, it is absolutely, hellishly black, like a black hole of scent (indeed, I have no words to describe how it smells -- I can't even associate it with other blends), and that is incredibly off-putting and horrific to me. I won't wear it. And I hope I never encounter a scent like this, ever.

[WidgetAlley]

I love clove! Bring it on! I also love that poem, which is based on a traditional Arabic short-form, so I'm really hoping I'll love this.

 

Bottle: Splintered pine wood, pine needles, the soft sticky musky pitch from Illustrated Woman () and a smoky but sweet clove. Foresty and dry and smoky but not harsh, somehow inviting instead. Ooh I hope this stays true on my skin.

 

Wet: A surprisingly light and airy spiced clove comes forward first, then the softness of the pitch, and just a hint of cold dark evergreen forest and dry splintered wood (like firewood). Someone up-thread said citrus and I think they're right-- not much though, just a hint of something pale and pretty, like a touch of grapefruit? The whole thing is really gorgeously airy and not heavy at all: it's dark, but it's dark like a nighttime breeze blowing the scents of forest and spice through your window. Honestly it reminds me a LOT of a more 'outdoorsy' Three Witches mixed with The Wild Men of Jezirat al Tennyn. How in [deity's] name could I complain about that?

 

Dry: Unfortunately the lightness of this scent means it isn't terribly long-lived, but that's okay; I can't imagine it doing anything but getting better both in depth and staying power with age! It stays that same, gorgeous, airily dark scent throughout and I just love it. I think it would be fantastic for layering, too. Not sure why I didn't seek out Gacela before but she's sure a winner on me!

Edited November 9, 2011 by WidgetAlley

[NaiadOreiad]

(2012 version)

 

I was excited for this because I loooooooved last year's "The Night Hag visiting Lapland Witches (in the weenies)

 

And was hoping for something similar, now comparing th notes of course they are different but I am a suck e for pine anyway haha

 

Wet: Cold forest! Definitely the essence of the pine forest in winter, blended so wel the clove and pitch just seem to lift the pine out of "cleaning chemical" territory and make it round and sweet (as opposed to the smokey darkness of the night hag)

 

Dry: Kind of cologne-y but still unisex. Although it is fresh and subtle, I can't wait to smell it on my man, I think other pine scents work better for me.

[Poenari]

Just like NaiadOrdiad, I also ordered this hoping for something along the likes of The Night Hag Visiting the Lapland Witches. While not the same, Gacela is definitely in the ballpark and I'm not disappointed. This is a dark, smoky scent, with the pine, pitch, and cloves making it a trip through a dark forest, with the clove giving it a holiday feel. Try this if you liked The Night Hag, but also if you liked an earlier Halloweenie, The Hellgate of Ireland. It's got elements of both, though it's not the same.

[Gateau]

I love the smell of pine, but it's really hard for me to wear. It loses its nice woodsy outdoorsy scent and turns sweet in a weird way on my skin, something that smells almost like (ew alert) fresh urine. That's partly tempered here by a good dose of clove, but ultimately the whole thing together gets sweeter than I'd like.

[mymymai]

ITI: Here, the pitch is the strongest note, followed by thick, verdant pine. I get just a touch of clove at the very end.

 

Wet: I get pine, pitch, and clove, but together, they smell like the most wonderful spiced drops in the world.

 

Dry: It's lighter and more powdery now, but I still can pick up on the clove and the pine.

[milo]

Lot's of sharp, fresh pine and a touch of clove at first. Gradually, the pine fades, and the clove comes to the forefront, but it's more of a masculine clove, not sweet and fades on me pretty quickly. I actually like it after it is more subdued as it is just too masculine during the mid phase.

[fufu_berry]

On wet: Cloves!

 

Drydown: Cloves cloves cloves! This probably sounds like I'm complaining, but the clove note is very realistic and smells awesome and spicy, not like fake-y candle/potpourri smell. Very cozy and comforting, and not foody or sweet.

 

After a while: Still mostly clove. I was hoping to get more of the pine note, but I still really like this. There's nothing smoky about this on me, but that's not really a surprise - my skin eats smoky notes for breakfast, apparently.

[Midnight Eris]

I ordered this one because of the pine, and sadly so far I'm not smelling any of that. Wet, it was all pitch and clove, and now as it's nearly dry it's all clove. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong, very spicy and somehow not foody at all...but I was really hoping for some pine. Maybe as it ages? We will see.

[KindKit]

2012 version.

 

In the vial: pine!

 

Wet on my wrist, there's a strong pine, bitter black pitch, and sharp clove. The clove quickly becomes dominant and stays that way. I do like it though. It's got the dark, bleak quality I was hoping for from Talvikuu and didn't get.

[mistressfizz]

2012 Version: A very dark scent, inky black, gloomy and deep. Not the darkness of a cave, but the darkness found under thick trees on a moonless midnight. Clove dominates the blend on me, rich and dense, followed by pine and tar. The pine is not sharp, it's more like sap, kind of sticky and sweet under the spice. A very atmospheric scent, something I think would work better for the room than on my skin.

[whitsunweddings]

I'm reviewing the 2012 version!

 

In the imp: Oof. Sharp, fresh pine with hints of sweet clove underneath.

Wet: That's really lovely. Sweet clove dominating quite quickly, with pine just underneath.

Dry: Just what I was hoping for with this scent! Clove sharpened by pine, which I'm very happy with, as pine usually dominates on me. Would not be adverse to a bottle, particularly for use as a room scent.

[mymymai]

ITB: Heavy, heavy pitch and a background of pine. It's a bit strong for me right now, and I generally like pine or woody-type scents.

 

Wet: It was more pine and pitch once I put it on my skin. I was a bit sad that the clove didn't come through.

 

Dry: Lo and behold - clove! It's a colder scent due to the pine and pitch, but I think I like it much better now that it's had a chance to settle.

[elbow]

Gacela 2014:

 

...that child
who longed to cut his heart open far out at sea.

 

Pine tar! All these fancy pirate-themed scents are nice and all, but this is what you'd smell like after a day of tarring the rig. Pine tar is dark brown and gluey and takes forever to dry properly, so you get it all over yourself whenever you go aloft, and it stains your clothes and stays on your skin for days afterward. It smells somber and uncouth, but it reminds you of bonfires and pine forests, and the devil knows when you'll see those again, so you just might find yourself rubbing the stuff into your scalp when the bo'sun's not looking. Turns out it helps keep your shaggy hair out of your eyes.*

 

This particular batch of pine tar has an odd touch of almost-living freshness to it, and it appears that someone has spilled a good bit of clove oil into the cask. That's definitely not standard; you almost feel pretty wearing it, which is... kind of a nice change. The scent doesn't last for days, either, more like six or seven hours. Come to think of it, maybe you'll just hide this contaminated batch away instead of wasting it on the ratlines. In a really... out-of-the-way corner of the hold. Yeah. Hell, the bo'sun would probably thank you if he knew.

 

Not that you're gonna tell him.

 

 

* Superfluous safety note: while historical sailors of wooden ships were known to put pine tar on both the rigging and their hair, modern rig tar contains harsher ingredients that aren't so good for you.** It still smells great, though!

** Clarification of superfluous safety note: I'm talking about literal rig tar, here. Gacela of the Dark Death is perfectly safe for your skin/hair. And also smells great. But may not be super-effective for weatherproofing hemp rope.

Edited January 5, 2015 by elbow

[stellamaris]

I bought the 2012 version, and I still have a bit of it. Strangely although I am not crazy about it, it seems to call to me on some dark gloomy days. Also on some deadly hot days when I want to smell a cool snowy forest. I have to dig a little deep for the snow however, it's mostly a big burly pine tree trying to take over everything. No clove. sigh. It is really deep and lovely, my BFF told me I HAD TO HAVE IT, and seemingly I did. This bottle's fine though...no backups required.

[dementia_divine]

2014 version.

 

In the decant: This one is very dark. The clove is very strong, but the pitch is really strong as well.

Wet: The clove dominantes, followed by the pitch, and then the pine itself. It is very masculine, and it has a smoky quality to it. I am getting more of the Terebinth Pine the longer this sits on my skin. It starts to become less smoky and dark as the Terebinth Pine becomes more prominent.

Dry: Clove dominant, but the scent is a lot softer and smoother than it was during the wet stage.

Verdict: I almost bought a blind bottle of this one, but I decided to go with a decant instead. I am glad that I did. I wasn't particularly fond of the first part of the wet stage, which was too masculine for me, and reminded me a bit of a campfire. I like the dry phase, but I don't want to endure the wet stage of this scent to get to it. I will give my decant to the boy, though. I bet he would love this.