Dracul

[ebonykawai]

Named in honor of Vlad III, Tepes, of the Order of the Dragon. Black musk, tobacco, fir, balsam of peru, cumin, bitter clove, crushed mint, and orange blossom.

In the Bottle: a lot of fir and a little mint, with just a touch of light floral

Wet on the skin: the same, but now I get the tobacco and another note that is very familiar to me. Cumin maybe? I don't get any clove, but there is the underlying floral which must be the orage blossom. It's barely detectable to me.

Drydown: Now the tobacco really comes out for me, very similar to Hellfire. I think it's the combo of the musk and tobacco that really makes me smell the similarity. Yes, it must be the musk. It seems like the same musk note that's in Loviatar. But there's something else there that makes this darker than Hellfire. The fir is very much in the background now and I think I'm finally getting a touch of the clove. I think that's the difference. This is not a floral scent at all. I get almost none on the drydown. This is Hellfire's dark and evil cousin. BRILLIANT!!

[Nepthys]

I admit that I got this for the name and barely looked at the ingredients. All the same, when I did look at them they sounded very enticing and I was thrilled to discover that Dracul is actually a very seductive perfume. This is dark and sweet and faintly sinister, with the tobacco and orange blossom blending perfectly. Wet it was almost pure tobacco, and then it dried down a little sweeter and blacker and stayed that way. What was also nice about Dracul was its consistent staying power - just a dab took me through the night, never overpowering, never fading. This is one of my immediate loves, an automatic big bottle.

[Rheliwen]

I slathered on Dracul last night (wonderful freebie) and immediately rubbed my arms all over the BF. Man this scent is very erotic and sexual.

 

I mostly smell the fir, tobacco and orange blossom...but it's a wonderful combination! I absolutely fell in love with it...but it's more of a scent I want to smell on my man than on me. It's VERY spicey and makes me want to bite people who are wearing it (I wrote that forgetting what this scent is named after. Man does Beth know how to make a scent!!!).

 

It actually smells a lot like Old Spice to me...and I love the classic scent. And the best thing about it: the man likes it too and wore it today . Could this be the beginning of his BPAL addiction? He says it smells almost girly to him, but I honestly think he's a bit biased because he thinks everything from BPAL is girly (because girls buy from it...don't ask me how he gets his logic).

 

This is definitely a sexual, wicked, spicey scent. I think it's gender neutral for sure, but it's a bit more masculine than something like Scherezade because it has a lot more spice to it.

 

I totally recomment it and will be getting a big bottle for the BF

Edited November 13, 2004 by Rheliwen

[ChupaChup]

The lovely lab rats gifted me with an imp of Dracul in my last order. Thank you so much, it was on my wishlist and has been an instant hit in our house . I only got to try a little bit when my boy came over and said, "What IS that?" He grabbed it and told me to get a 5ml in my next order This is someone who used to whenever I tried to get him to smell some BPAL but I've got him hooked now

 

Wow, this is so hot! I can pick out all the notes except the balsam of peru (because I don't know what that smells like). Black musk, tobacco, fir, cumin, clove, mint, and orange blossom, all blended together perfectly. We'll both be wearing it

Edited November 20, 2004 by ChupaChup

[Northernminx]

Tried this one this morning having bought it, like some others, for the name alone.

 

Holy smokes what a complex scent! I thought I was going mad smelling the pines and balsams and firs at first, very earthy, rich and dark. The musk started to peek through with...mint? Wow. Chilly mountain forests make sense. There is a definite tobacco sense now, warm, vaguely spiced, but also vaguely "off." Something about my chemistry makes this go metallic almost on me which is really okay as this was too masculine and very very Vlad for my personal use, but I am so utterly impressed by the notes that mingle and appear in this scent. I am contemplating passing this off to the boyfriend to see what he thinks.

[Summerpixy]

Sex in a bottle... so long as it's on my boyfriend. I can see where it can be compared to OldSpice but that mint note sets it into a whole other category. The mint comes out strongly on me and I can't see myself wearing this, I've already got a perfume for those nights I want to smell smokey and sexy, but I will be giving it to the bf as part of his birthday present and I'll insist he wears it. If he really likes it I'll buy a 5ml for him, it's so sexy.

 

Squee!

[FireInCairo]

This is a very manly scent. I love it. It's almost like Bay-Rum in a way. It's very warming as well. I like to use it on my lamp oil ring. Very nice indeed..

[Penance]

Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, God, this is gorgeous! I smell tobacco, fir, clove, musk and mint...for some reason, this makes me think of the Canadian wilderness. This is woodsy, but not in the usual way; it's more like a logging camp is woodsy, very outdoorsy and somewhat masculine smelling. I love this!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Tobacco, musk, fir, clove and mint all show up on my skin...it's minty and woodsy and cozy and comforting smelling all at the same time. I can tell this is going to be a real winner already...I'm sure this would smell lovely on the boy, but I can't bring myself to share this one. It's mine, all mine!

 

Dry down:

 

Mint and musk and tobacco and a slight hint of fir remain now that it's dried. It's a very comforting scent to me; I can see myself wearing this one almost every day it's so good! I'm definitely planning on getting a bottle of this in my next order, this is too good not to have more of.

 

The bottom line:

 

Gorgeous. It's woodsy and dark and comforting and minty all at the same time. I'm sure this would smell equally good on a guy or a gal, it's somewhat masculine but not too much that a gal couldn't get away with wearing it (not that that would stop me anyway). I'm definitely getting a bottle of this, most likely a 10mL.

[Falathwen]

This was a freebie from the lab - one which I never would have chosen myself partly because of the name and partly for the tobacco note, though the rest of the notes were irresistable to me... I am so glad that they sent it.

It was one of those rare scents that evoked for me not just one image but a whole scene as it unfolded. First, a winter-cold evergreen forest but with an acrid tang as if something had been recently burning. This seemed appropriate to this ancient Eastern European war lord.

As it dries down, the scene shifts indoors to a hall. A mid-winter feast is offered -drink warm with orange and clove, food spiced with cumin- by a host whose scent is musky and dark. Dracula’s legend evoked to perfection - I need to go read the book again.

[couscous]

This was the first imp I tried from my new order

 

Forest-y. The woods are alive in this one, not dried. I can definitely smell a tree of some kind. A christmas-y tree, at that! This is...this is christmas!! Yes, it really is.

 

I also smell the mint, but it's a mellow spearmint rather than a sharp tang. The mint heightens the christmas effect. If I get close, I smell orange blossom- but, again, its very, very subtle compared to the fir note.

 

I do not smell anything else just yet, but there is something- or a blend of somethings- cutting the green and bringing a musky ( but not animalistic) comfort into the blend.

 

This season provides exactly the right context for Dracul. Who would have thought?

[JazzieCazzie]

DRACUL

Acquired via swap.

I would have thought by the notes and name that this would be a guy scent, but I think it is definitely gender neutral.

WET: The first thing that hits me is the mint. I'm not sure what the other notes are but they are so familiar and I'm guessing that's the tobacco. It's very very pleasant. It may be my favorite BPAL mint scent so far, because the mint is more like chewing gum than soap, which is what mint usually turns to on me within seconds.

The orange blossom rises very quickly also. It's a very clean scent but not overwhelmingly soapy.

DRYDOWN: You know, during the wet stage I LIKED it but didn't think it would be a keeper for me. But it dried down into something completely different which I love ... somehow comforting and clean and slightly sweet and pungent. I would have to wear it again a few times to figure out what it reminds me of ... but it makes me happy.

[jj_j]

Dracul didn't originally sound all that appealing to me, because the description includes cloves, which I usually can't abide.

 

The imp I got from the Lab was a very pleasant surprise, with fir and balsam - which I love dearly - right on top. Mingled with the warmth of tobacco leaf and what I pegged as red musk because of the fruity touch, it's sexy and much lighter than I expected. Perhaps the orange blossom has more of a citrus note than a floral one this time around, because Dracul has a decidedly citrus quality on me.

 

While I never detect the mint in this blend, I also don't get the cloves. It seems that they must be just a tiny part of the recipe, and I'm delighted, because it means that I'll be purchasing a bottle. Dracul has wonderful staying power, and it's never overwhelming; it did, however, result in three people who were within a foot of me to ask what wonderful perfume I was wearing. It definitely has an edible, but not foody, quality to it.

[Ishtar]

Dracul was added to my order by the Lab. When I first opened the imp, I really could not see the connection between the name and what I was smelling: a mint/eucalyptus note mingling with something herbal or aromatic that one would use in the kitchen.

Curiouser and curiouser. Of course, I had to try it right away.

 

After ten minutes, I sniffed my arm again and oh my! What a change! Dracul had turned into a dark, complex, smooth scent that I would never have expected. Oh, and did I mention that it was sexy as hell? I could not detect any individual note and I did not even care because I was enjoying this delicious scent too much.

 

Needless to say, this is a keeper and I cannot wait to slather this on my boyfriend. It should be gorgeous on a man

[Shollin]

First sniff: Dusty and spicy. Dried wine.

 

Wearing: I’m having a hard time figuring Dracul out. It’s faintly fruity-wine-ish, but distant, like a memory. It’s a very soft, subtle scent that clings very close to my skin.

[TheDarkMother]

This was just one of those imps that I HAD TO GET!

 

In the Bottle: Orange, mint, and cloves. The combination is lovely!!

 

On Me: This really is gorgeous! I don't really get the tabacco scent, but the mint, orange, cloves, and musk blend together for a lovely masculine scent that I am just in love with. For some reason, this reminds me of my husband, and I told him so over the phone. I think he might want to try this one, actually. I hope he does. I'll be getting a big bottle of it regardless.

[Macha]

I was a bit nervous about Dracul. Tobacco? Hmmm...it's not that I hate tobacco, but...well...tobacco. Hmmm....I hate smelling like I smoke. Tobacco. On the other hand...Dracul. I mean, come on: Dracul! I've been reading about him since I was a little girl. It's a difficult argument to countermand.

 

Dracul WAS one of the fragrances they had at Black Broom, and I recall that I liked it, but I wasn't in love with it in the bottle, and we could only buy the ones that were instant loves. (Just too many...) So Dracul went on the "someday" list. People would rave about him on the forums, and I would throw little coy glances in his direction and look away before anyone could catch me.

 

Last week I had an opportunity to trade for an Imp, and woohoo! A shining example of the alchemy that happens between the oil and the skin.

 

Wet, in bottle: Smells strong! Not bad, just...very strong. Balsam and clove, with...ah, that must be the tobacco. Okay, it's not cigarette tobacco. More sweet pipe tobacco. That doesn't smell intolerable at all. There's also something that reminds me of Burial...the faintest smell of dirt. Huh. Appropriate, but I wonder what's causing it? The whole scent is forcefully strong, almost overpoweringly masculine. Might be too much for a little girl like me.

 

Wet, on skin: Oooh! Oranges with cumin and mint! Oh, that's quite nice. How Middle-eastern. The darker scents are, for the moment, willing to stay in the background, although still very much present.

 

Dry, on skin: Magic happens. It all combines into one big glorious gestalt. All the scents are now present, and all belong with each other. This is a very woodsy scent, a warm scent, faintly tinged with cold, and while I was expecting to get the sense of a dark castle in cold Carpathenian mountains, I was surprised at a completely different connotation: that this was the male equivalent of Ice Queen -- a Dark Huntsman, if you will. The Hunter in winter, straight out of a Russian fairy-tale. The Hunter who let Snow White get away.

 

Strider would smell like this. It made me horny as hell.

 

Conclusion: Gorgeous, incredibly sexy, and has great staying power -- what more could a girl want? Villain made me think of my bf, to the point where I realized it was the equivalent of wearing one of his sweaters when he's not around. Dracul makes me want to hunt him down and....ahem. Do things. Wonderful, terrible things. I suspect it would smell wonderful on him, but it matters not. I love Dracul on ME.

[darkling]

In the bottle: Dracul smells like light mint and subtle wood (perhaps the balsam?).

 

On my wrist: The cloves have devoured the other ingredients except for the slow rising scent of tobacco.

 

Drdown: The fir makes itself known and Dracul now has the base scent of a winter forest. The clove and mint wind within the forest most frequently and once in a while the cumin and musk peer out. I don't catch a whiff of the elusive orange.

 

This scent is phenomenally complex and rich. It has incredible lasting power. Unfortunately, it is way too masculine for my tastes.

[Nehushtan]

First impression: This scent reminds me of my favorite herb shop.

 

Wet: Orange blossom, tobacco, a little bit of clove and something green—mint or eucalyptus. Dracul is actually fairly medicinal smelling for a minute or two.

 

After a few minutes, the scent begins to mellow and deepen into a dark musky spice. I can’t describe what it smells like, save that it makes me feel safe, like my father did when I was a very little girl and he would pick me up and carry me. Still, this isn’t necessarily a scent only for men—I think any dark, voluptuous, ass-kickin’ woman could pull it off—for which I am grateful, because I intend to bathe in it until my imp runs out.

 

It is notable that this is the only BPAL scent my 10 year old daughter has liked so far, and she likes it so much she was begging for the imp.

 

What starts out as an interesting assortment of smells melds into an amazing overall impression. I think Macha said it best: Dracul is a shining example of the alchemy that happens between the oil and the skin. I will definitely buy a bigger bottle of this.

Edited January 13, 2005 by Sibyl

[Surioara]

First review, let's see how this turns out. . .

 

Being a sucker for clove and musk, I invested my faith in this blend and bought a 5mL right off the bat. I'm quite pleased that my trust has been well-placed. In the bottle, this blend smells very dirty (as in earthy, not unclean), very dark and heavy, vaguely putrid. It's very reminiscent of an old, musty wine cellar, particularly one found in a castle on a heavily wooded mountainside.

 

After application: while wet it smelled a bit sweeter as the orange blossom came through, supplemented by a touch of mint and fir. Very wintery, very tasty.

 

As it dried, it warmed up, and I found myself dancing through a luscious dark, spicy musk. Several hours later, it's still going strong; a slight sweetness shies around the soft subtle clove and fir notes, and the musk and tobacco blend very nicely to create a scent that belies strength and seduction. It's a very dark and mysterious scent, but cozy enough to draw you in and hold you. I submit to Dracul, I surrender. This one is going to be a staple in my collection.

Edited January 28, 2005 by Surioara

[Reinaluna]

Dracul, ahh another masculine blend to me. I like it, but it kind of strong for me. One person said that it was similar to old spice and that is what im getting. My brother will enjoy this one, as I thought it smells a lot better on him than me.

[Splendid Molerat]

Dad?

 

 

This is turning into old home week. Dracul reminds me very much of my father, clean-shaven, a bit of hair pomade, smoking out in the sun with his dark glasses on.

 

It fades away quickly; I have time to be surprised, but not saddened. Not sure what I'm going to do with this one...

[sarada]

I'm glad I waited a little bit to review this -- at first I liked it in the imp but it wasn't until I wore it a couple of times and ordered a bottle that the magic really started to happen.

 

Dracul is one of my TOP THREE scents right now, much to my surprise. I was afraid of the tobacco note but it's turning out to work wonders in conjunction with these other deep, woody, minty, slightly spicy scents. This clings to my hair and my skin all day and I feel enshrouded in a cloud of smoke and mystery. Pine and mint are already two of my favorite smells, but the smokiness of this blend really takes them to another level and makes them last, and last, and last -- deep, dark, burning wood in a cold forest. But it does not become entirely dark and cloying because of those subtle golden-orange touches from the clove, cumin and orange blossom. Clove and cumin do remind me of a warm, masculine, comforting presence, as though you are in someone's warm embrace in the cold, beneath a woolen cloak. I cannot get enough of this scent. I want to always have this to turn to for warmth and comfort. Dracul is seductive and refined...I'm hypnotized, and I can't turn away. But who would want to?

 

I hope they never stop making this. This will be a scent to stockpile for the ages.

[phaedrine]

I'd just gotten this in a swap, and I'd really been looking forward to it, so when I took the first sniff of the vial, I was a bit shocked. It was stinky! All orange and mint and something dark, perhaps the tobacco.

 

I tried it on anyway, for posterity, you know?

 

I'm sooo glad I did! As soon as it dries, it completely changes on me. All the orange and mint go away, and the tobacco just warms it a bit. Mainly it becomes very woodsy, all that fir, with the bitter clove. A very spicy wood. Very yummy.

 

The throw isn't outstanding, but I could still sniff spicy woods on the back of my hand for hours afterwards. I want to bathe in this stuff!

[Finny]

This is an intriguing blend, I have been trying all the tobacco blends, because I love Hearth.

 

The balsam and mint in this jump out from the imp. On the mint adds a tingle when sniffing, the orange blossom softens the fir, balsam, and tobacco. The spices warm it up, so that it smells delicious. One of the "I have to keep sniffing smells".

 

Someone said it reminds them of what Aragorn would smell like, and I have to agree. It is an earthy, sleeping outside, campfires, and having no where to call home but the wilderness kind of scent.

 

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Sharp, astringent!

 

Second Impression: Once this dries, the sharpness is gone. It's warm with lots of balsam and fir, reminiscent of Black Forest. On the drydown, I get touches of mint and orange blossom. On the long drydown it morphs into warm cloves, woods and tobacco.

 

Final Analysis: This is an interesting and lovely blend. It's warm, a bit foreboding and very mysterious. It's almost like a man's version of Formula 54. Very nice.