Giant Squid

[windbourne]

GIANT SQUID
Cannabis blossom, tonka bean, tobacco, frankincense, galangal, juniper berry, lantana, spiky aloe, green and white teas, and salty sea spray.

Ufufu. Surely I am not first? ...A first, to be first. ANYWAY. SQUID.

The Squid is actually rather amazing. In the bottle, it smells almost fruity, and very mellow -- a greenish-tinged scent, if you will, with splotches of amber and brown. Once on my skin, it deepens, with the tobacco blooming up and a slight gingery edge. There's a definite tea note, especially when it's wet, and some saltiness that fades after a while. After three hours or so it's become a mossy-green scent, somewhat reminiscent of seaweed, though not as oceanic. The aloe never is more than an undertone on me, and the frankincense never took over the way it sometimes does.

All in all, it really reminds me of a much more mellow Sea Rat, which is AWESOME, because I love that, but I don't wear it very often because it amps like **** on me and gives people around me headaches. So this is GREAT. It seems to have a good wearlength and wonderfully mild throw.

I love it, though I really wasn't expecting to. I may need a full bottle all for me. :x

[eugmyers]

Giant Squid is awesome! As a Seattle-ite BPAL-er, I knew I had to have this exclusive scent, but I wasn't really sure what to expect after reading the description. However, after picking up a bottle for myself at Sakura-Con (unsniffed!), I was pleased to find that I really like it!

 

In the bottle it is somewhat fruity and very pleasant.

 

It seems to deepen up a bit on the skin (which is a good thing for me, probably due to the tobacco and frankincense) but I can still detect the berry and tea notes. Overall it very clean smelling and wearable. It is light, but it doesn't lack longevity. I can see this being a great spring and summer scent for me.

 

Thanks for producing such a great scent for Seattle, BPAL. I am so happy to have this in my collection!

 

 

[Rheliwen]

Giant Squid has the most awesome label! Beth was talking about how awesome it was and gave the credit to Brian for the entire thing: inspiration, conception, art, etc.

 

In the bottle it smells like evil blue sweet tarts. It reminds me of the tiki blends. The aloe and juniper berry are out at the front with the sea spray, but they are grounded by the tonka and frank. It dried to something more sinister, but still sweet and tart. Very strange one, this.

 

Longer on, it really mellowed out on the sweet end and really reminds of something that I can't place. It's like sweet, mellow candied cinnamon at the end.

 

Weird and wonderful, just like Seattle.

[azndragoncrimson]

I was really hoping to like this since I would have loved a "Seattle" BPAL scent...but alas, it wasn't for me. It started off a little fruity and then morphed into the smell of lipstick. Hm. Ah well, I consoled myself with buying a couple GCs. Glad to hear that it is working for others!

[hologhost]

This was a puzzler for me in the bottle - a strong scent with lots of notes that I can't place. But, on me, over time it became the most incredible spiced apple. All harvest-y and autumn. I love it! I have a feeling this one will morph as it ages and I look forward to seeing what it becomes. Thank you Beth for such a lovely scent.

[Thursdae]

Giant Squid surprised me. Without looking at the bottle, I poured a little on the back of my hand. Ooh! Lightly spiced apple juice...or apples richly cooking down to sauce...

 

That's when I checked the label. Squid? No apple in the notes--no fruit, even? What up, nose?

 

Whatever it's made of, whatever marine creature inspired it--this bottle is mine, all mine, so keep your tentacles to yourself.

[fairnymph]

Sweet-tart and fruity. I get a lot of fresh, sour-tangy slightly candyish green APPLE, a bit of tea and salty sea spray, a lot of almost peppery spiciness and fresh kick in the background - definitely the juniper and galangal clearly - as well as a sense of depth, but I can't pick any of the other listed notes out. It smells nothing like I imagined. I don't get any lantana (i.e. lemon verbena).

 

Instantly spicier and darker - tobacco and frankincense emerge hugely, and the juniper berry and galangal amp. There are other spices here, too - clove and maybe cinnamon? Complex but a bit jumbled at this point. I get the sweetly heavy tonka and something I think is the cannabis blossom, because it reminds of hemp's earthy greeness, in lighter, sweeter form. I do get a bit of almost-aquatic, juicy-wet aloe, and the teas are a little stronger. I don't think the apple has faded so much as been overwhelmed, although it smells more red now, like a Red Delicious specifically. More salty sea spray, to my delight, though overall this is far too spicy and dark for my tastes.

 

Spicier and spicier on my skin - definitely sweet clove and cinnamon, the latter going a bit candyish a la Red Hots. The tobacco has both gourmand and smoky qualities and is a strong but very subtle and well-blended presence; it seems to merge with the frankincense, which is more smoky and woody than sweet and sticky, but definitely dark and incensey. I think the herbal-earthiness of the cannabis blossom is mixing with these two, as well - I can't pick it out very well. The tonka I wouldn't pick out blind, but there's a definite sweetness to this blend beyond the apple that must be due in part to it. The juniper berry and teas hold, but the galangal has turned a bit spicy-dry, sort of like the ginger note in Shub, while much of the aloe and virtually all of the sea spray have dissipated.

 

Spicy (galangal, clove, cinnamon), crisp apple over sweet, smoky, woody incense with earthy and juniper-woodsy overtones. Nothing at all like I expected and much too dark, spicy, and incensey for me. I'm impressed by how well the apple note holds - perhaps more strongly than any other apple blend I've tried. This reminds me of a much more complex, darker and incensey Ho Ho Ho and it should be quite popular, but it's not something I'd ever wear. Moderate throw (definite slathering required) and rather poor longevity.

 

Lying notes! Nasty incense and spices!

[Invidiana]

For a squid this actually smells really good. Thankfully I don't get any pot type of smell from the cannabis blossom but I guess the blossom smells very different from the actual plant. There is lots of seaspray when this is still wet, but as it dries down it fades to a slightly salty tang and the rich resins and tonka make an appearance and the tea gives it a bit of a resfreshing citrusy edge; not bitter like F5 came out on me, but beachy and exhilarating. There is a tiny bit of smokiness from the tobacco and galangal but nothing overpowering. I'm very glad I don't get the one note I was worried about, the aloe; maybe it just contributes to the coolness of the seaspray in the background, but it isn't prominent. I think this was the biggest surprise out of the Sakura-con scents because it could have been either a major win or major fail on me, but fortunately it turned out to be the first one.

[ralenth]

Wet: Tobacco blossom - reminiscent of The Body Shop's Tobacco Flower room oil.

 

Drydown: Giant squid begins to sweeten with peeps of aloe and juniper berry. It's playful and slightly aquatic. Giant Squid at Seaworld, anyone?

 

Dry: Once it's dry, Giant squid does have a slightly spiced apple scent. It grows spicier by the minute.

 

Overall: If I could somehow keep this locked in the drydown stage, I would buy a bajillionty bottles. Unfortunately, me and cidery apple scents, not so much.

[strahlend]

This is such a unique scent. It's very watery - aquatic, some unusual floral, green - like moss or kelp with more juicy green of another variety I can't quite identify. I love green scents but I hate it when they go soapy - Squid is in no danger of going soapy at all. This is a whole other kind of aquatic. On the drydown I get a hint of a salty vibe. All together this is a fantastic water with green kind of scent and I'm totally head over heels in love with it.

 

edit for spelling

Edited November 5, 2010 by strahlend

[Djaeno]

I bought a decant of this off a forum member, and it is definitely not what I was expecting -- but in a good way!

 

It was surprisingly refreshing and clean-smelling. It was green in a fresh kind of way, not like new grass or sun-washed plants, if that makes any sense. It stayed pretty "clean" even on the drydown, but after 15 minutes or so the smoky notes started to emerge. They aren't overpoweringly fragrant; there's still a baseline of freshness that makes the blossoms and tobacco (I assume that's what they are) that balances everything nicely. I think what Invidiana said about a citrusy tang from the teas is just about right!

 

Overall, it's very cool and refreshing with a little hint of the exotic to make it interesting. I find it a pretty neutral scent, actually, like something I could wear when I didn't want to smell "like" a specific mood/day/flower/place/whatever. I'm definitely going to treasure my imp!

[sirensea]

Apple! It's apple! And aquatic! This is an apple swimming happily in the ocean, then coming up to shore and slathering itself in spices. Hmmmm. Not what I expected, but pleasant, and kinda whacky!

[zankoku_zen]

This one is very odd to me. The best description is something that really smells like apple, very green, fresh and fruity - and then as it dries, I get a giant hit of spicy sweet clove, cinnamon and tobacco. Like a more incensey SSCA or if you took Fearful Pleasure and made it aquatic.

 

I enjoy it - but its a bit odd.

[realafterglow]

Giant Squid...ah, how I love you. When I found out that BPAL was coming to Sakura-Con (so excited!) I was praying that there would be an event exclusive scent and yay! I love this one the most out of all the Sakura-Con exclusives. It's feisty and soft .

[crebbsgirl]

This was a salty aquatic on me. There did seem to be a sweet almost fruity vibe on me as well. I could see this being a refreshing summer scent. There is just a hint of flowers here too. Nice, but not really my bag.

[countessmouse]

Squid is an odd one, but not in a bad way. Lots of incense, juniper and fruit both in the imp and wet on my skin. As it dried, it kind of reminded me how World Market and Pier One Imports used to smell before they went all corporate and mega-chain -- exotic incense, bamboo, etc. It still sort of smells that way now, although some aquatics have appeared. I like it.

[isisonearth]

Bottle: It sort of pokes at the nose. A piney sort of sharpness full of resin.

 

Wet: Sweet, salty, pine resin...lots of very snappy notes. Way underneath is a smoother base of the tonka, tobacco and tea, a smoky, creamy sweetness but you really have to close your eyes and reach for it.

 

Dry: It smells like the sea. It really does remind me of the smell of the ocean. I love that it stays salty to the end.

 

Overall: I feel really lucky that I had a friend who was able to pick my up a bottle.

[Blood onmy hands]

I love this scent. It reminds me of apple cider, but apple cider mixed with green and white tea for summer. The tea makes it a smoother, cooler, more watery sort of blend. It has a clean edge, but it's not soapy at all. Refreshing and lovely. I had my husband smell this on me and he said, "Mmm. Pretty spices."

 

I don't get anything like tobacco or resins from this scent at all. It starts off like apple cider with hints of tea and then dries down to sweet tea with hints of apple cider. I kinda want to drink it.

 

Apple cider all cleaned up with a refreshing twist for summer. I don't know why I get that impression, but that's what it is on my skin. I love this and can see myself wearing it a lot over the summer and fall

[edenssixthday]

Giant Squid - Apple! A lovely, spicy apple. Wait... what? There's no apple of spice in this blend? Color me confused. Hmm. Maybe it's the combination of green tea and aloe that somehow comes across as apple? but where's the spice coming from? Where are the other notes in the listing? What I smell doesn't remotely add up to the ingredient list. Odd. Either way, it's a lovely, spiced apple and it would be wonderful for fall if I didn't already wear Samhain constantly during the autumn season, so I'll be passing it along for someone else to enjoy.

[ModderRhu]

I haven't reviewed in a while! This is my first after a long hiatus

 

I get how people smell apple in this. There is absolutely something apple-like in Giant Squid. It's not quite apple, though. It's fruity but not...grassy but not...marine but not...hempy/smoky but not...it's WEIRD. I love weird. Different from any other BPAL I've tried. I never really comment on color impressions, but I definitely get a compelling sense of translucent, juicy emerald/jungly green from this. Like green jello or something. Or Slurm.

 

Wow. I'm gonna get a lot of use out of this one. Love it!

[cranberry]

what a pretty tart green apple scent! maybe with a bit of aloe and a sweet floral way in the background. as it wears spice comes out. love it!

[yamiko]

This is a scent that has a ton of notes that I'm not familiar with, but they all kind of merge into a slightly sweet, slightly spicy, herbal, fruity, aquatic scent. It's very fresh and green to me. After seeing a lot of people say "apple", I kind of agree that it's pretty apple-y. This scent actually took me by surprise. It's got a lot of notes that don't really jump out to as likes or loves, but they all blend together very nicely.

[grrrlennyl]

Giant Squid

 

On: Sweet, heady, and dark. I can also get some of the saltiness and the teas. Lovely.

1 hour in: This is disappearing pretty quickly on me, so I'm thinking of putting more on.

2 hours in: I put more on, but this is going sort of odd on me. My skin chemistry is so difficult. I think it might be the juniper berry taking over and making this smell woodsy.

3.5 hours in: This still smells off on me, so I put on a bit more. It's definitely more of a fresh apple-y scent with lots of aloe. I wonder if it's the aloe that's killing this on me.

4.5 hours in: BLAH! Vegetable-y and woodsy. Boo.

Overall: My skin sucks sometimes.

[Clueit]

Bottle;; I'm smelling apple. I love apple.

 

On skin;; Apple, oh god, yes.

 

Drying;; Wait, I smell something a little musty, woody. I'm thinking about Cracker Barrel now. >w< Yay.

 

Later;; Aw, no more apple. I smell fresh and salty though. I like this.

 

Final Thoughts;; I miss the apple phase, but it smells good still, so yay~

[aleciarivas]

Scents with a green slant don't do anything for me- and while Giant Squid is lovely there is a green scent beneath that totally turns me off. Unfortunately, not a scent for me!