Solitary and Abhorred

[Ashmedai]

Another circumstance strengthened and confirmed these feelings. Soon after my arrival in the hovel I discovered some papers in the pocket of the dress which I had taken from your laboratory. At first I had neglected them, but now that I was able to decipher the characters in which they were written, I began to study them with diligence. It was your journal of the four months that preceded my creation. You minutely described in these papers every step you took in the progress of your work; this history was mingled with accounts of domestic occurrences. You doubtless recollect these papers. Here they are. Everything is related in them which bears reference to my accursed origin; the whole detail of that series of disgusting circumstances which produced it is set in view; the minutest description of my odious and loathsome person is given, in language which painted your own horrors and rendered mine indelible. I sickened as I read. `Hateful day when I received life!’ I exclaimed in agony. `Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred.

Solitary and abhorred: carrot seed, East Indian patchouli, white tea, and peru balsam.

Wow! Gorgeous patchouli and peru balsam, with the latter dominating more and more over the former as it starts to dry, this is a very resiny blend that reminds me of old, gnarled black wood with a hint of vanilla and olives from the balsam. Dried down, the carrot seed complements it perfectly, adding something earthy and vegetal (something that makes me think of root cellars...I love that smell). I don't get much white tea, but tbh, I don't miss it either. Friends of Mandrake, Garden of Death or The Mandrake Charm will probably love this one, and it's softer, less pungent and less "green" than any of them. Not the patchouli-heavy blend I expected, but I think it's gorgeous and wouldn't change it one iota from what it turned out to be.

[Monster]

Out of the vial I'm getting patchouli softened by woody balsam. There's something chilly and cooling about this as well. When I inhale deeply it cools the inside of my nose...just ever so slightly.

On my skin the patchouli and chilly balsam wood are still dominant with a background of white tea. I'm not detecting any carrot seed.

As this dries the white tea steps to the foreground.

 

I would describe this as woody/resinous with a touch of herb. It's soft, pretty, unisex leaning towards feminine and really gorgeous for lovers of earthy perfume.

 

I'll be using my entire vial for sure

 

ETA (3/2014):

 

Just revisiting this scent to see how it's aged. The patchouli has come out a lot more and the white tea note has completely disappeared. This smells like the forest…like the perfect patchouli in a dense woodland.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Monster

[holborne]

In the imp: a lot of patchouli and wood, mostly wood; it's a sort of a soft scent.

 

On me, wet: Very earthy and sharp; the wood really amps and it's a bit overpowering, and a little too close to a chemical smell for my liking.

 

On me, dried down: The sharpness goes away, leaving the softer patchouli scent in its place. The balsam is still lingering, but quite faintly.

 

This would be nice for someone looking for a unisex scent, I think. It kind of reminds me a little bit of a log cabin. I don't think I'll need the bottle, but I'll certainly use the rest of the imp. I would probably only use it if I could let it linger a bit before I left the house, though, because although it's very nice when it dries down, I'm not really insanely crazy about the top note.

[edenssixthday]

Solitary and Abhorred - Peru balsam and I don't get along, so I didn't have many hopes for this scent. Sure enough, it's not very good on me. It's very strong on the patchouli and carrot seed, which makes it smell kind of herbal or vegetal. The balsam makes it a very dry, woody scent on me, which seems to be exacerbated by the white tea. Without the balsam, I think I might like it a lot, as it's definitely unique and interesting. I think it would make a really good unisex scent (for people who can wear peru balsam, unlike me!)

[Altaira]

In the decant: bitter herbs and cologne. Almost didn't skin test.

 

On skin: Some of the bitterness tones down. The carrot seed comes out and the patchouli gives a nice earthiness. The balsam adds a hint of sweetness, but the blend is far too bitter and sharp for me.

[gchris]

First the dirty scent of patchouli when wet. The carrot comes through pretty strong msking this smell like a veggie garden, dirt and all. Finally after a few minutes it mellows out some. I smell the peru balsam, which I love, wishh it were stronger here. Not really getting any white tea. This is not something I love and not something I can wear. I tried it out of curiosity so not really disappointed.

[Ah Xia]

This would be an excellent masculine scent--strong earthy patchouli balanced with a sweet thread of fresh carrot juice, complex, sophisticated and unusual--completely unique.

[Lethran]

In bottle: Patchouli and balsam form a dominant partnership, with carrot seed as strong support. The white tea, being delicate, is soft, but in this case pervasive. This is likely too much patchouli for me, but I am intrigued. Wet: The carrot turns out to be an unusual and pleasant complement to patchouli. It is still a touch too much patchouli for me, but I am coming to love it anyway. It smells like vegetable garden during planting, of mud and seeds squishing between fingers and toes. Meanwhile, the balsam and the tea make their own little coalition, and though I am not a balsam fan, it’s absolutely gorgeous with the tea. The effect is of a solitary woman swathed in white, aloof and untouchable. Somehow, these too distinct impressions work together to make a mesmerizing whole, not really like anything in the catalog I can think of. Dry: Mostly patchouli, with a hint of balsam and carrot seed.

[milo]

This is pretty much single note patchouli on me from the wet stages to dry. I'm getting something a teeny bit sharp in the background, now that I think about it, and I'm guessing it's probably the balsam.

[zankoku_zen]

Patchouli with a touch of balsam. Dark, resinous, kinda dirty.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Patch softened by the tea and the balsam.

 

Wet: And there's the carrot seed!

 

The dry-down: And we're back to what I sniffed from the little wand--patch with tea and balsam. Those two notes have tamed the patch into a rather mild scent, not at all what I was expecting. Was hoping for more patch than anything else.

[Incendiare]

Sorry, but I can never get along with blends like this. Carrot seed is always so freaking bitter, and patchouli is just the definition of dirty. Balsam is lingering in the background but isn't helping this much. I refuse to skin test because I know it is going to be a train wreck of dirty patchouli and über nose-wrinkling bitter carrot seed.

[Blood onmy hands]

I keep avoiding reviewing this one, because this is such a mess on me. The carrot is very bitter and sort of herbal, with earthy patchouli and then a sharp, clean sort of jab from the white tea. I really don't like the carrot notes in any of the perfumes that I've tried them in. I just find it bitter, disjointed and unpleasant. Bitter, herbal, dry and earthy...

[ami226]

On the skin: Carrot and white tea? Really interesting. The patchouli blooms a bit later and it just smells like... a carrot freshly pulled from the garden.

 

Even later, all I can smell is the patchouli and tea.

 

Interesting, but not for me.

[bellumed]

Unisex, heavy on the carrot seed, backed up by the earthy-sweet of the patchouli and balsam. Poor white tea doesn't stand much of a chance among these dominant scents, but maybe a sensitive nose can get more than mine can. Smells little brighter in the decant and darker on my skin. This is most definitely not a typical perfume/cologne; even by BPAL standards, this is pretty unusual stuff. The carrot seed in particular.

[theseagrows]

another frimp. i remember seeing this one and being curious about it, but figuring it might not work for me. it's very earthy, as is to be expected. the carrot seed adds an interesting element that is earthy and slightly sugary, but not sugary in the usual sense at all. it's mostly patchouli with a hint of tea and carrot seed, i think. i am never really sure of what peru balsam smells like. this is a very interesting scent, kind of difficult for me to describe, in all honesty.

 

it leans to a more masculine scent, but it seems innovative and atypical to me, which i like, as i find so many "typical" scents for men to be offputting. maybe i should try this one on my s.o.

Edited April 19, 2013 by theseagrows