Half-Elf

[SophieCedar]

White sandalwood, beeswax, white tea leaf, oud, and a hint of sophisticated urban musk.

Hello? banshee beat? Is that you? H-hello? HELLO? I can't hear you!

Seriously. I does smell like a lighter slightly aquatic version of banshee beat on me. Twice I've tried this with the same results. I'm seriously confused!

[edenssixthday]

Half-Elf - I was very surprised to see that "bitter herbs" wasn't a listed ingredient for this scent, because on me, that's exactly what it smells like -- earthy, bitter herbs. It doesn't remotely smell woody, musky, beeswaxy, or anything that I could ever identify with the listed notes. I like it, but I think I would like it on a manly, outdoorsy dude even more. Even though it's bitter, I find it strangely appealing. The throw is solid and the scent is very long-lasting.

[Gateau]

I see I'm not the only person who picked up earthy patchouli. As soon as I applied it I got the exact same patchouli note I get in Depraved, which is a wonderful approximation of freshly turned earth. While I was hoping to find other blends with that particular patchouli (I don't care for most other patchouli), there the apricot softens and plays interestingly with it. Here, there is a bitter herbiness that emerges when it dries, that makes it sort of caustic. I don't get any of the white sandalwood, which I generally love, beeswax, or white tea leaf. Good helps it soften a bit, but not enough.

[Wwindy]

On me this is basically all sandalwood all the time -- but fortunately, it's a sandalwood note that I particularly love. Dry, woody, very yummy. I only get a tiny hint of warm musk and maybe just a touch of beeswax; I can't pick out tea or oud here at all. After drydown this reminds me a lot of the sandalwood soap that Ten Thousand Villages carries.

 

ETA: I'm currently having a rather dramatic chemistry shift due to some medication changes, and all of a sudden I understand where people are coming from with the "patchouli" comments! This never used to smell like patchouli on me, but it sure does now...

Edited September 6, 2012 by Wwindy

[Teaotter]

Wet: Dryer sheets? Where the heck is that coming from?

 

Drydown: More dryer sheets. If I stick my nose right next to it, I get a strong whiff of pencil shavings. This really is not what I expected at all.

 

Dry: This one took more than an hour to settle out. The oud has come to the front along with the musk. I don't get any beeswax at all, and the white sandalwood is just doing its pencil-shavings thing if I sniff my wrist directly but is otherwise completely in the background. This is a little bitter with maybe the slightest hint of sweetness in the throw.

 

Like all the RPGs, for me, this has a LOT of throw.

[Teggy]

Wood and musk? Yes, I'd say so. This reminds me a little bit of Schwarzer Mond which had black musk. To me, black musk has this earthy, yet "empty" quality to it. Like you're sniffing the steam from a cup of black tea. I feel like it needs to be blended with something though. Kinda want to try it with Half-Elf V5 which is very different. Yet somehow, I think they would balance each other out nicely.

[angelicruin]

Not skin tested as this is a gift for someone, but sniffing the decant this is woodsy and medicinal to my nose.

[theseagrows]

whoa this smells like the outdoors on me! it smells like a leafy overhang by this beach in big sur. slightly damp and dirty but with a subtle floral scent to it. so i think from that description, i am mostly getting oud and white tea leaf from this. it's earthy and slightly perfumy at the same time. what an odd scent. i can't even make up my mind about this one! it smells neither masculine or feminine to me, but somewhere right along the middle. it kind of reminds me of the scent of freshly washed skin and hair- perfumy but also something organic. in fact, i think this would be an amazing smelling shampoo. not sure i would wear it often as a scent (maybe in summer?) but for now i will keep my imp.

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Kinda perfumey. Le sigh.

 

On skin, wet: Still a little perfumey, but not quite as harsh to the nose as before. Nothing else really stands out, though.

 

On skin, dry: Fading fast. It's not perfumey anymore--more woody and a touch musky--but it's also getting faint, overall.

 

After an hour: It hasn't vanished, but it's definitely a subtle scent at this point. Wood and a little musk. No beeswax, no tea.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Intense sandalwood mixed with a complex bouquet of other notes. I think I'm smelling musk and oud, amongst other things.

 

On skin: Ah, the scent now blooms and smoothens. The dry, sharp sandalwood I smelled on the imp wand tones down and forms a discreetly woody backdrop, and the other notes are blending together over it. I smell musk, tea and beeswax; I don't recognize oud, but I think I can make out how it is contributing. Like the other RPG blends, all the notes in Half-Elf blend very well to create a non-morphing, unified scent impression. In this case it's a herbal-resin, gentle, resin-sweet, a bit dry but rounded, with hints of depth and richness lying underneath. Half-Elf definitely has the best of both heritages: the contemplative, somewhat inscrutable resinous depth of an Elf, and the warm, approachable earthiness of a Human. Colour impression is mahogany-brown with rich red overtones.

 

Verdict: Although Half-Elf isn't dramatic and complex enough for me to keep, it is lovely in its simplicity, and a solidly good blend in the RPG line.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Vega

[sunlitgarden]

Imp: This is a little on the bitter side from the woods, with a bit of freshness from the white tea.

 

On skin: Woody, bitter. Turns more towards a dusty powderiness as it starts to dry. I'm mainly smelling sandalwood here, and possibly oud? It's a woody smell that's almost varnish-like. I haven't tried oud on its own so I'm not sure exactly what it smells like.

 

Yeah, this is going furniture varnish on me. Argh!

 

EDIT: With a couple years on the imp and possibly a different chemistry at the moment, Half-Elf actually smells great! It's a nice woody musk with a sort of leafy, almost oakmoss-type base (but this note is fairly light). Possibly a scent that needs aging before use -- so I may buy a bottle now to use in a year or two...

Edited February 28, 2014 by sunlitgarden

[malibusunny]

This is dirty (nonwood) smoke and leather. I do get wax eventually, but it takes forever.

 

I can't imagine what I could layer this with that would make me need it.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Clean, earthy, and sharp.

 

Drydown: Warmer. Slightly sweet and musky. Spicy sandalwood and musk are most prominent. Urban is definitely the right word to describe the musk. Wow, this is so much sexier than I was expecting. I’m not sure what oud smells like, but there’s something in here that smells like a cross between faded leather and ambergris, so I’m guessing that’s it. The beeswax adds just a touch of sweetness in a way that reads more floral than foody. The white tea adds a clean freshness that is sort of fascinating in combination with the other notes.

 

Dry: Is that lime I smell? I think it might be. Citrus-y sweet, earthy, and sophisticated. Bright and musky at the same time. A lovely morpher this is.

 

 

 

 

Ok, this is amazing. With buzzwords like “clean,” “sandalwood,” and “sophisticated musk” I would not expect myself to like this so much but goshdarnit it’s really really good. Perfect for a sexy urbanite who loves to go camping on the weekends. Gender neutral in a 'best of both worlds' sort of way. I can't stop inhaling my wrists!

 

7 out of 10 bones

Edited August 29, 2013 by BoneBone24

[fairestrocza]

Wet, this is high and a bit sharp. As it dries, the sandalwood comes out and grounds it a bit. Dusty, musky, ever so slightly sweet. I don't get any of the beeswax. These 'white' scents aren't really my style.

[Nicnivin]

This is, without a doubt, one of the most perfect scents that I have ever tried.

 

In the vial, it smelled woodsy and I could definitely smell the white tea and beeswax.

 

Wet: pure sandalwood. It rolled around on me slickly and smelled like an occult shop.

Drydown: the sandalwood faded and the oud and white tea got more assertive

Dry: primarily oud, with a whisper of sandalwood in the background.

 

A dear friend once brought me oud perfume from Bahrain, and this reminds me of that very scent. It has the crispness of forest walks in early Autumn, with just enough of an exotic kiss to be evocative of the Half-Elf.

 

This has made it to my top 5 list, and I'll definitely order a full bottle.

[laforetnoire]

This is a green, sweet and slightly earthy scent (probably from the sandalwood?). It's indeed, a sophisticated scent and it's definitely sexy.

 

I love scent that reminds me of forests and earth (yeah, my username, I know). With this sexy, sweet, forest combination, I totally adore this scent!

 

Oh yes, I will be wearing this while playing my chaotic neutral half-elf beguiler!

Edited November 18, 2012 by laforetnoire

[Xue_Bai]

Imp: Sandalwood, with something dark beneath.

 

Wet: Musk, oud, and sandalwood. It's a bit harsh, made me sneeze getting too close, but an okay scent...bit masculine for my tastes so far.

 

Dry: The white tea is peaking through, and the beeswax has cut the slight harshness of the wet scent, making it slightly sweet.

 

Later: The throw once dried wasn't great, and within 15 minutes it settled close to the skin. As other have said, it's a soft warm woodsy smell once it's settled. It's pretty much what I wanted from the scent. I only dabbed it on, so I'm hoping with more it will have a slightly better throw. It's lovely and added to my potential bottle list.

[mymymai]

ITB: A dusky musk with sandalwood, but also slightly bitter. Hmm, not bad.

Wet: It's very similar to above, but there is a slight perfume quality to it, which might be fragrant steeping tea leaves.

Dry: Musky, woodsy sandalwood. This isn't bad and would be really nice to blend with a sweeter scent or something more florid.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Smoky furniture wax

 

Wet on me - A dash of surprisingly acidic musk cuts out from beneath the wax

 

Dry on me - A cool, smooth masculine musk

 

Overall - It's not really me, but it is very sexy

[Lunasariel]

NOTE: I'm caught in the throes of a pretty nasty cold, so my impressions may not be the most reliable. I plan on coming back to this scent when I'm feeling better and seeing if my impressions change. But for now, they are what they are.

 

In the imp: A clean, fresh scent; a little reminiscent of Embalming Fluid. A bit woodsier, however, and with an interesting undertone of sweetness. I don't have a good scent profile for BPAL's beeswax notes, so I don't know whether I can't distinguish it or it just isn't there in noticeable amounts.

 

Wet: Man, was this a journey! It started out as a clean, pleasant, musky-sandalwood take on Embalming Fluid. Nothing that knocked my socks off, but something I immediately began to make plans for layering with other RPG scents. (Specifically, I was looking forward to jazzing it up with something like Mage or Bard.) However, after about ten minutes, something sharp and acidic popped up out of nowhere. Before I knew it, I was having my first experience with BPAL's infamous Lemon Pledge/cleaning fluid note.

 

Dry: It stayed stubbornly Lemon Pledge for a good several hours. Eventually, it calmed down to a pleasant, slightly musky sandalwood. There may still be some citrus-y hints hanging around, but that may be just my poor traumatized nose having flashbacks. So while it's now not *un*pleasant, I'm probably going to hang onto the imp for awhile, and see if aging it and/or me changes the Lemon Pledge thing, as opposed to buying a bottle.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: The oud is the strongest note, followed by the white sandalwood.

Wet: Oud and white sandalwood dominate. I'm also getting the musk. I am not getting much white tea leaf or beeswax, sadly.

Dry: It's very much the same, only not as in-your-face now. The oud still dominates, followed by the white sandalwood note. The resins didn't really let the beeswax or tea leaf emerge on my skin.

Verdict: This is way too masculine for me.

*edit* I think I am getting patchouli from this now. It isn't a listed note, and it may just be this particular type of oud that reminds me of an earthy patchouli, but still... I wasn't expecting it!

Edited November 30, 2014 by dementia_divine

[false.azure]

In the imp: Lots of oudh. Very sharp and bitter.

 

Wet on skin: Still sharp and bitter, but as it starts to dry, the other notes come out. First the sandalwood, then the beeswax, then the tea. I'm getting some citrus in there (lime?), though it isn't listed as a note. The musk comes out later. The wax is noticeable, and I'm a bit scared because my skin tends to turn non-wax things into wax, so I'm afraid I'm going to amp it. The musk and the oudh quickly become the most prominent notes, with the herby bitterness of the tea and the citrus, tempered by light sandalwood.

 

Dry on skin: As it warms on my skin, the resins and the musk blend together to create a bit of sweetness, tempered by the sandalwood. I'm glad that I don't amp the wax -- that mostly went away as soon as it dried. The tea is adding some bitterness to this blend, and it is fairly herbal and woodsy (not woody as much as it smells of the forest, or maybe like an urbane wood elf who moved to the city). The musk is thin and light, not carnal or heavy at all, and the sandalwood is fairly delicate. I'm still getting the citrus scent, maybe like the bitterness of lime peel, as it isn't juicy or fruity at all.

 

Verdict: This is sexy, earthy, and masculine, yet still sophisticated. Not a super complex scent, but one that might be good for layering with others. I like it, though it isn't a favorite by any means.

[Hazy]

Yes, yes, yes! Half-Elf is one of maybe three scents ever that I've NEEDED more of on first sniff. I first tried it yesterday, and I bought a 5ml today.

 

I get sandalwood (a love note for me), something sweet and almost vaguely lemony that must be the beeswax, and a hint of musk that works beautifully on me, for once. It's honestly a very sexy scent, and fairly masculine. The woodsy aspect is gentle on me, but I do get a hint of the vetiver others have mentioned. To my skin, Half-Elf is just what the description claims, and I can't wait to use it as a character scent.

 

It seems complex enough to stand alone, but I've also layered it with Chaotic and Cleric, which blends beautifully and seems to help the scent last longer. I love it so much that I want to get the rest of the RPG scents right now, so I can pick out the nicest-smelling combination! I think it would go well with other GC scents, too. I have a hunch that Coyote and Dorian will both layer beautifully.

 

If you want this for layering purposes, or if sandalwood/woods in general work on you, Half-Elf is probably a good bet.

[tinyvulture]

Love at first sniff!

There's a light, bright white tea note, and smooth beeswax, contrasted with a woodsy, intense, almost harsh sandalwood note. Such an unusual yet lovely combination.

 

After a few minutes, a sharp lemony note. So it's lemon tea? I dislike it at this point. It's like a harsh cleaning product. Fortunately the lemon quickly mellows out. It leaves behind a splash of citrus, but now it's sweet rather than sharp. I like it again.

[beakerwill]

From a lab fresh frimp;a very dry, wood/old dead leaf scent. Not surprising, as that is how sandalwood usually reads on my skin. No white tea or beeswax showing, and 20 mins on it is almost gone. I will try layering good or evil, and see what happens. Or maybe mage...