Dracul

[allelujiah]

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.

Much more woody than anticipated upon application. I was thinking the citrus/spice notes would come out on top, but my initial impression was one of a slightly astringent forest.

This scent (for some crazy reason) really reminds me of Thailand. I was hoping for a Slavic vibe, if that even makes any sense, but I reckon it is the cumin and wood notes - this scent reminds me of Sukothai (sp).

It is a soft scent, fuzzy edges - I can just make out the citrus making it a touch sweet. I do like this scent, but not as an every day perfume. It reminds me of a kitchen where tons of meals have been cooked and all those spices and smells have combined over time. It isn't a foody smell, per say, but it makes me think of cooking.

I don't know. That is pretty abstract, I reckon. I can't pick out the mint, I think it is modifying the other smells in a way that is difficult for me to identify.

Also, it has only been on for about an hour, but it is already so faint I have to sniff around for several seconds to pick it up.

[LyndaM]

Woodsy, musky and sexy; this is the first BPAL my husband has really loved.

 

The fir, tobacco and clove are all very present from the beginning, and are wonderfully strong and masculine. The mint and orange blossom are only just detectable, and the musk grounds it all beautifully.

 

My husband hates anything that could remotely be considered girly, and dislikes 'incensey' scents, and is generally picky and hard to please. Dracul had him at first sniff; I have finally found the BPAL that brought him around.

 

It's also very long lasting on him (detectable after a quick shower, even), and a little goes a long way! Someone will have a big bottle in his Christmas stocking this year...

[aedes]

Oooh! It's Dracul the Christmas Vampire!

 

Heheh, no, actually, I'm really liking it. I get the orange, fir, and clove smells mostly, which is why I think of Christmas. But there's a nice, masculine smell underneath with the musk and tobacco, with myrrh keeping it all warm.

 

Actually, scratch Christmas, this would be awesome for Halloween! An orange and black smell if I ever smelled it. I think I'll have to test this on the boy.

Edited October 27, 2005 by aedes

[Fishwomon]

Wow.

 

This is Count Vlad as suave host, welcoming guests on a late autumn night into his candle- and crystal-lit great hall, a sophisticated and charming host whose eyes subtly but too eagerly seek the sweet spots on his guests' throats.

 

This is not a scent for boys (or girls). It's a scent for sophisticates with an edge. George Clooney could wear this scent. So could Patricia Clarkson.

 

(Fans self.)

 

Dracul is all black-and-orange. When it's wet, I smell the fir, cloves, and orange. I also get a whiff of black pepper. As it dries, the scents blend, and a hint of mint joins the mix. Spicy!

 

Wow.

Edited November 1, 2005 by Fishwomon

[SeaMonkey]

This is all fir, mint, and cumin. I ADORE tobacco, so I was hoping that note would come out, but it didn't. When it dried, it was almost all cumin. Its very masculine and I thought it would smell good on my ex, but it was all cumin on him too

 

*sighs* why oh why did the tobacco go away on me?

[Alohasca]

This is perfect, my favorite BPAL so far. I fist I thought that I had "found it" with Hellfire, then with Black Annis, but no, it's DRACUL.

 

I adore black musk and most of the other ingredients in the mix. It floats around me mixing with my aura, a dark quiet velvet place with expensive furniture far away. It's like vanilla but more conforting to my soul.

[lookingglass]

Sweet, smokey darkness with a bit of animalistic tang, that goes slightly sour...like it has been sitting in the grave...

Edited September 16, 2013 by lookingglass

[AlaskaSnows]

Wet: Pine, orange. A nice cleaning fluid. Or maybe an aromatherapy.

 

Dry: OH YEAH!!!! WOW!!! I love this! I know this scent, but cannot place it. I would classify this a citrus men's cologne, with definite aromatic overtones. A bit powdery. VERY nice.

[pekeana]

I really like Dracul -- it's warm and almost sweet on me. THIS is the orange blossom I love, and it hits my skin like a song that doesn't stop singing. I smell the clove and the orange blossom, and a conglomeration of everything else down beneath. It's soft and gentle, but with a touch of manliness. I really, really like that it's not overly masculine on my skin, because if it was, I might be turned off from it, for I do like the bit of sweetness.

[Wench457]

Dracul: This smelled of patchouli to me in the imp, which is odd, because it's not listed as a note. Hm. Maybe the tobacco and orange blossom fooling my nose. It does smell cold and remote, which is a neat effect.

 

On: Chocolate and spices. (I know, but that's what it smells like.)

 

Dry: A nice incensy scent, I can definitely pick out the clove and cumin, and something that smells like leather to me. I like it a lot, but it's a bit more masculine than I would wear. And DH so far has been resistant to being assimilated, so it's off to swaps.

[hypatia]

Wow. I've found my next 5ml bottle.

 

Dracul is cool and minty and outdoorsy at first. Then it's all warmth and cloves and orange-spiciness. Both of those stages smell wonderful. I've been looking for forest scents and spicy scents, so it's neat to have both of them combined into one. But I think my favorite thing about it is what happens hours later when it's almost faded away: what's left is an indefinable warm basenote, hard to categorize but just delicious. I think the tobacco's part of it, but not the only part. The only thing I can think of to describe it is that it smells like me, only better. I would totally wear this on a date with someone I wanted to get (ahem) closer to.

 

There's no stage of this I don't like, and it's so complex! I don't think I'd wear it year-round -- it's definitely got a cold-weather vibe to it -- but I'm ordering a bigger bottle forthwith. Must... restrain... self... until... holiday... bills... are... paid...

[Kalasin]

In the bottle, Dracul scared me at first. He smelled very pine, and reminded me of a perfume my grandmother gave me as a girl, not yet old enough to wear perfume, that was made from cedar resin. My first thoughts when receiving this gift were, "Why would anyone want to smell like a pine tree?" and opening this imp, I couldn't help thinking the exact same thing.

 

I don't know what compelled me to put it on, but I'm happy I did! The scent transforms from pure pine to something sweet. I can definetly smell the orange blossom and the pine in that sweet scent, but the sweetness is tempered wonderfully by the black musk and the clove makes it so nice and warm. A very sophisticated blend that feels surprisingly girly on me! It also lasts surprisingly long on my skin which loves to eat scents, going on 3 and a half hours and still strong.

 

Thank you, Lab, for this lovely frimp I would've never thought of buying myself!

[Meg]

In the bottle: The very fresh scent of nature - perhaps mint and fir mixed, possibly also the balsam of peru - with hints of orange blossom.

 

Wet: Tobacco, mint, fir and orange blossom, with musk in the background. It smells bitter and fresh at the same time, and quite masculine.

 

Drydown: This dries down to a woody scent, mostly of tobacco with a hint of mint which makes it smell very fresh. The flowers seem to have faded into the background, leaving a scent of orange peel rather than blossoms. It's not biting, though, the musk balances out any sharpness that could come from those usually very strong notes. The bitter clove is clearly there too, spicy and a bit broody. I get the fir in waves, springing out when you least expect it. And when you least expect it, the musk jumps out at you and seduces you completely. Whoo.

 

Overall: A rather masculine and complex scent, both civilised and rather dark. It smells like a man's room, with the strong scent of tobacco, the freshness of Cologne, a bowl of oranges giving off a tangy scent... and a bitter twist of darkness, musk, and the wilderness of a fir forest outside. It gives Dracul the image of a perfect gentleman who is only one step away from being *wild*. I wouldn't wear it myself, too much musk and too masculine, but it would work wonderfully on someone else.

[Voleuse]

On first application this is all musk and a little tobacco, strong and dark and masculine. There's a bit of spice to it, as well, which is nice. Damn sexy.

 

Over time, this gets a little lighter, and lets more of the fir in, as well as a hint of mint. I don't get any orange blossom, but there is the merest suggestion of something sweet. It ends up being woodsy, as well. Yum. After a while, the musk gets a little too musky for me, but the overall experience is wonderful.

[merebrillante]

In the vial: Evergreen and something sweet underneath

 

Wet: Evergreen! Sharp and tangy.

 

Drydown: The sweetness re-emerges, clove and orange blossom, almost overpowering the evergreen.

 

Dry: I'd swear there's dragon's blood in here. It's got that spicy/powdery sweetness I've come to associate with that essential oil. I don't smell any tobacco, cumin or mint in here. It's pretty, but in a bland way, and much more suitable for a guy than for me.

[Fyre_in_Winter]

Dracul is definitely not what I expected. At first on my skin is was very tangy with almost a zesty lime note that went so citrusy for a second I thought Dracul would turn to lemons on me. Fortunately it didn't. The black musk and te balsam have combined into a beautiful soft and very sweet throw that is also warm and rich. When I press my nose against my wrist, I get a very subdued jolt of citrus and perhaps a tinge of mint.

 

I'm glad the fir didn't surface, but what made me really want to try this blend was that it has both tobacco and clove in it, neither of which I can distinctly smell. But I still like it quote a bit and it will make a unique contribution to my BPAL collection. For some reason I can foresee wearing this when I have apresentation to make, since it is simulatneously soothing and energizing and powerful.

 

ETA: It just occured to me this has a similar feel to Haunted, just a tad more masculine AND, oddly, a bit sweeter.

Edited January 14, 2006 by Fyre_in_Winter

[Tess]

I didn't get this for myself, but that doesn't mean I can't sneak a swipe of it before handing it off to the boy. Mwaahwaahaa.

 

In the bottle: A boozy orange-clove with a little smoke to it, almost like smoke from a balsam wood fire. Heady and lickable.

 

Wet - Smokey fire with just a touch of clove.

 

Drying - That black musk is coming out like mad. It's the main smell right now, with some fir and cumin to it. The orange and clove went bye-bye.

 

Dry (15 minutes) - Black musk with some fir and orange to it. It's VERY dark and smokey. There's a touch of the clove right at the edge.

 

Overall - I do like it, although it would be for very specific times. Also it's very, very faint and fades extremely fast, so I think I can pass this happily onto the boy without feeling too bad about it.

[tinyvulture]

minty and musky! wow, the black musk really dominates in this scent. the fir gives it a foresty vibe, and there’s just a hint of spicy clove. i'm not picking up any citrus or cumin. it’s such a jumble of different smells, but i like it, especially on a boy.

[desu]

In the bottle: Musky mint with a swirling woodsy, herbal undercurrent.

 

On my skin: This becomes incredibly "dark" on application. The woods, herbs, and musk skulk in the background, while the orange blossom and clove come to the fore to join the cutting mint. Not too foresty, not too floral.

Eventually the florals disappear, leaving a very brooding, spicy darkness behind.

[Miss Lynx]

Ooh, nice. This was one of a number of imps of scents usually considered to be for the boys that a male friend gave Kettu and me recently, and while another of our male friend has gotten hooked on Dracul and is dying for more, so we'll probably give this to him, I had to try it first.

 

I have to say, this scent is a work of art. It's got that gorgeous complexity that many of the best BPAL scents do, with all the notes perfectly balancing each other, and shifting in and out of prominence. Orange blossom was what first jumped out at me, but then it settled back into the blend, forming part of a harmonious whole.

 

As with Golden Priapus (which is on my other arm right now), I can see how this scent might be better on a man than a woman even though it doesn't come across a stereotypically male scent to me. But it's nice on me too, even though it's not my usual type of scent. I can see why it has some female fans.

 

Warm, dark, earthy, herbal, complex... It's not quite a "me" scent, but still, if I didn't know how desperately our friend Tim wanted it I'd be tempted to keep it for myself.

 

Grade: B

[Thaleia]

Ooh, interesting! The description sounds nifty, but I'd have expected the metallic tang of blood and spears in here somewhere. Instead we get musky woods and spices in Vlad the Impaler's vial. On the skin, it bites! Well, not really, but the scent is very sharp and commanding, regal and righteous, like its namesake. Spiced orange without the patchouli, which is really nice: orange, clove, woods, and a hint of tobacco. I don't know that I'd keep this, because I have other more traditionally masculine blends I prefer, but if Dracula were as sexy as this blend, he can bite me anytime. 7/10.

[vonriga]

I bought this imp for the name, not the ingredients. An afterthought in a bulk buy.

 

First on: Heavy and dark. Touch of old spice, but more rounded in tone. Can smell the clove, softened by the mint. Very masculine.

 

1 hour: Still strong. The clove is there, but luckily works well on my skin. Feel rather carnal. A very sensual-sexual blend.

 

3 hours: Softened to gentler tones of mint and orange blossom, and what I assume is the dark musk. Warm scent. Confident and controlled.

 

I love this. It is a highly sexual fragrance and made me feel almost predatory.

 

After applying, a lady who was visiting began to treat me differently. This scent could be used VERY irresponsibly.... and I think I shall.

 

I simply must wear this in the office.

 

I have ordered a 10ml bottle.

 

I think that this is pure genius.

[Naamah_Darling]

On sniff-loan from a friend, I'm trying this because I love it in the bottle. We'll see if it goes yuck on my skin.

 

At first sniff before I put it on, its very dark and heavy, a peppery blend of musk and fir with a dash of mint to cool it (though it is NOT a minty smell) and just a whisper of something sweet – clove or orange, it's actually hard to say. Pleasant, dark. It's a trifle more manly than girly, though overall it seems quite balanced in terms of gender.

 

On, the spice comes up through the fir – cloves and mint, with a smoky breath of tobacco leaf. The musk is swirling around everything. This really is delightful, but it's a very "stinky" scent. It's not at all clean or refined or genteel. It's rather assertive and messy. I hate piney/woodsy scents, but thankfully the fir is not overwhelming, and really complements instead of dominates.

 

The throw is cloves and tobacco, a rich smoky smell not like a campfire but like a chair next to a hearth where someone smokes. As it dries it smooths out to a much more genteel and very masculine odor, an expert blend in which no one note dominates. This one has a lot of character. And it's very sexy. I don't know why this should surprise me, but it's . . . mmm!

 

This has been called Hellfire's evil cousin. I'd agree. If Hellfire is a room where wicked men have recently sat in close cabal, then Dracul is the scent of one of those men.

[dragonryder]

This one definitely has a bottle with my name on it in the future. Wasn't really sure upon opening the bottle as it was very spicy, but later was really thrilled how it mixed with my own chemistry. And the staying power is awsome.

[Ryvre]

In the imp: Musk and mint. This smells masculine to me.

 

On my skin: I nearly made my boyfriend fall out of his chair by sniffing my wrist and exclaiming "I smell like a Super 8!" (Which is a fairly cheap chain of hotels, for those of you not in North America.) It smells like lingering cigarette smoke with a little bit of musk and mint.

 

An hour later: I still smell like a hotel room. This is definitely not something I'd wear.

 

A few hours after that: It's still there. If nothing else, it sticks around a long time.

 

It smells great on my boyfriend though. The clove and orange that never had a chance on me come out very nicely on him. He smells a bit like a goth club, but in the good, sexy way.

Edited March 27, 2006 by Ryvre