Thirteen (13): September 2013

[Lethran]

Thirteen (13)
A fortune's wheel of thirteen lucky and unlucky herbs, spun around a rich, dark core of pure cacao: allspice berries, cascara sagrada, ladybug beans, cinnamon, catnip, sweet clove, cumin, huckleberry leaves and fruit, master root, copal negro, sarsaparilla, nutmeg, and green rice.

In bottle: I am not familiar with some of the elements, so this review will not be as precise as I like. It is cocoa dominant with the green rice in support. Saspirilla and huckleberry are tied for second is second. The saparilla stands alone, but the huckleberry plays with the chocolate and it's leaves bridge to the garden faction. Third would be the spice block that mostly supports the chocolate but which also bridges to the herbal and garden element. The allspice help bridge chocolate and huckleberry particularly. I am guessing that the ladybug beans are dominant there, but don't quote me as I've never smelled a ladybug bean. It's just that the note smells like fresh bean plants. The copal smoothes the transition between elements, soft, but ubiquitous and blending well with everything. It's interesting and complex, with the chocolate, spices, and sarsaparilla saying food, and the rest saying garden. It works and makes me thing of the act of trick or treating, tromping past Autumn gardens while carrying a bag full of candy. Wet: More perfumey on the skin. The cocoa stays dominant, but the copal pops into second, still tying things together, but prominent now rather than understated. I'd call sarsaparilla third, then spices in forth, with the huckleberries working as a bridge between chocolate, spices, and sarsaparilla. The garden/herbal faction is soft, but pervasive. It's more foodie in affect and less carrying candy through other people's gardens. Dry: Surprisingly sweet rice, copal, and gentle sarsaparilla. I'm thinking I'm picking up allspice berries and a kiss of cocoa too.

[crimescenecleanup]

I just get rich dark chocolate - the most delicious, decadent chocolate bar ever. WIN!

[dementia_divine]

Disclaimer: This is my first 13 blend, and I am not familiar with many of the notes.

In the bottle: The cacao is the dominant note, followed by the spices. I am somewhat reminded of the Mayan Chocolate with Annatto Seed, Anaheim Pepper, Cinnamon, and Vanilla Bean blend from this year's Box of Chocolates, but the cacao in this is stronger.

 

Wet: The cacao isn't as strong as it was in the bottle. It's definitely there, but I think that the spices are stronger. I'm enjoying this thus far.

 

Dry: I'm mainly getting the spices (I think the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and clove? I'm not sure, but the cinnamon is a dominant note) at the forefront with the cacao lingering behind them. I was hoping this would lean towards being a blend of chocolate and spices instead of chocolate and herbs, so this is a good thing. I am getting a bit of the sarsaparilla, too.

 

The sarsaparilla is becoming more prominent the longer I wear this. It's now making me think of spiced root beer with a hint of chocolate. Curiouser and curiouser! Although I think the spices are the dominant notes, the boy is mainly getting the cacao note when he smells me, and describes it as "failed chocolate milk." Ignore his description.

 

Verdict: Fortunately, this isn't nearly as odd as I thought it might be, thanks to the spices and the cacao being the most prominent on my skin. I was hoping that the cacao would be the strongest note, but this is nice! I'm glad that I bought a bottle.

Edited October 2, 2013 by dementia_divine

[hexnut]

13 September 2013

 

My first Thirteen. This bottle has an orange label with a black cat and the number thirteen but no month or year. The oil is light brown.

 

 

In Vitro Chocolate plus.

 

Wet Freshly applied this was rich chocolate similar to Mayan Chocolate With Anatto et al but without the chile heat. After only two minutes some almost-bitter earthiness emerged, presumably the spices and herbs although I couldn't identify any of them. Six minutes after application I characterized the scent as spicy-herby, slightly sweet, with subtle chocolate.

 

Drying Definitely herbal and dry, and slightly sweet, with cocoa a mere suggestion. At one point there was a worrisome hint of mustiness, and I was afraid that cumin or one of its allies was getting ready to trash the celebration, but luckily (heh) it never did. This settled for a while into a barely sweet, "dry" herbal scent, decidedly of powdered spices and herbs rather than the fresh plants. I liked it even though I couldn't detect the cocoa. A bit later it was spicy dry goodness with a mild sweetness that wasn't quite chocolate but was similar. My final observation before I went to sleep, an hour after application, was "dry and mildly sweet, hint of chocolate".

 

Nearly six hours later I awakened enough to sniff my wrist and the herbs were gone but there was the cocoa, faint but faithful.

 

I'm glad I took the chance and sprung for a bottle of this Thirteen. It's not so fabulous that I'll mourn it forever and haunt the swaps when it's gone, but it's a unique and intriguing scent and I look forward to wearing it it daytime.

 

 

102

[Midnight Eris]

13 - September 13, 2013

My first 13! If the others are anything like this, it won't be my last. This stuff is so, so good. I'm wishing I'd purchased a back up bottle when I had the chance.

In bottle: chocolatey, but not really sweet. Kinda like baking chocolate.

On, wet: same scent as in bottle.

Drydown: still chocolate, but I'm starting to smell the herbs and other notes (I can't distinguish them), which makes it not foody but just sweet and a tiny bit exotic.

Dry: the spices and herbs come out more, and there's something almost green smelling mixed in now, but the main chocolate scent is the same. I'm surprised the clove is playing nice, I usually amp clove till you can't smell anything else, but here it's nicely blended. I am not really a chocolate scent person, but this is just...I love it. I can't stop smelling the back of my hand where I applied it!

[Julia]

Like Midnight Eris above me, this is my first 13 and likely won't be my last.

 

In the bottle: It's a dark, barely sweet chocolate that smells faintly savory, a little bit fruity, and kind of dirty. My mind drifts to mole, for some reason.

 

Wet: I get the cumin and huckleberry at the front of the pack though all are still lurking behind the chocolate.

 

Dry: The lovechild of See's Candies and Penzeys Spices has been caught with a purple-stained face and an empty jar of huckleberry jam in its sticky little hands.

 

 

I was afraid of that sickly fake scent that reminds me of watery hot chocolate from a mix but this is all deep, rich, actual chocolate. I really like it!

 

 

Oh no, something went horribly sour the longer I wore it. Got dang it

Edited October 6, 2013 by Julia

[Dark Alice]

Wet: Dark chocolate. Nice...mellow dark chocolate.

 

Drydown: Chocolate covered cat nip. The overlord kitty would be pleased with this. I am however...am not! Off to the sales/swaps.

[OctoberGwen]

I am getting mostly dark chocolate covered catnip as well. This is so rich that it almost makes me nauseous, sadly. I suppose it is fitting that I have not had good luck with 13 blends!

 

The label art on this one is a keeper, though, so I will probably offer to decant this for others who love rich, dark cacao blended with lots of crazy herbs.

[Zii]

I am SO thrilled I got a free decant of this with my weenies, because I never would have tried it otherwise and it is stunning!

 

It's mostly chocolate, but I am getting the cumin, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, making this very evocative of spiced hot chocolates that I have had in South America. This is a very foodie scent, but it gets greener as it dries and the spices and chocolate take a back seat to copal and other things that I am less familiar with.

 

I may have to get a bottle of this!

[Rshields]

I'm very glad I was able to obtain this too, from a very lovely swapper.

I am a chocolate scent enthusiast, however when this was live I passed because

it just seemed way too complicated with the extensive note list.I was afraid it

would go haywire on my skin.

It is actually a delicate herbaceous, spiced dark chocolate on my skin! There is a hint

of powder but overall just a comforting dark chocolate based scent. A good fall and

winter frag. Halloween is written all over it, hello chocolate trick or treating hoard!The bottle art of a black cat on an orange label is now one of my

fav labels. Awesome..

[Quillifer]

I LOVE this and wish I'd got more than 1 bottle. Oddly though when I first tried it on, I wasn't keen. On me it's foodie, but not sweet - think of chocolate in the sense of mole, of Mexico. Richness and complexity but not at cloying - with a slight hint of dust. There's a suggestion of burnt rubber at times but fortunately this note cycles out quickly as the oil morphs.

 

Don't think I'd want to wear it in hot weather, so at least part of the year I won't crave it - but otherwise I will have to eke it out until I can get more, and hope that the next version appeals to me as much.

[Dedee]

in the bottle- wonderful deep chocolate, like a spicier Boomslang. Oh boy!!

 

wet-still a deep dark chocolate but now all of the spices come out, and my skin amps spice like nobody's business. Dang it, chocolate is going away already, and all I'm getting is clove and nutmeg and allspice. GRRRR!!

 

drydown- chocolate is all gone and now I get a sweetness above the spice that must be the sarsaparilla, and a slightly green, earthy scent. Could that be the catnip??

 

verdict- definitely not for me, will find someone else to give it lovin'

[zankoku_zen]

Dark, spicy cacao becomes dark, herby cacao.

 

On wet, the spices I get are allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. As it dries, I get rice and catnip.

 

It's dark, herby chocolate.

[Ilex]

This is amazing. A very sexy blend.

 

Dark chocolate, so strong and full it is almost like musk, dominates. I really did not pick up on the catnip at all, so not really as herby as spicy. The spices and herbs blend well- I can pull out the copal as an incense note, the rice as a sort of sweet undertone (this I don't like, its a little cloying, but its not too noticeable) and the cumin on the far dry down, but everything hangs together. Normally I like individual notes to stick out but here I don't mind the effect of things melding.

 

I really wish I had a bottle rather than an imp of this.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - A dry warm cocoa

 

Wet on me - Dry powdery cocoa with a hint of something vaguely citrusy

 

Dry on me - Ashes and dishwater. Woe

 

Overall - This just didn't work on my skin

[Magycmyste]

In the bottle: Prominently dark chocolate, coating a soft warmth. The softness reminds me a little of hay, but I don't know which note that might be. I do get a hint of the spices, though.

 

Wet on skin: Soft chocolate and sweet, dried grass Actually, that could be the cacao combined with the green rice. That would do it.

 

Dried down: Same as wet, but with more of the spices showing through. It's a sweet spiciness, reminiscent of pumpkin pie spice, but stronger, and NOT of potpourri (yay cumin! I have to look for it, and I feel its presence more than smell it, but it's there).

 

Throw: Chocolate and spice. Beautiful.

 

Verdict: ***** Another 13 win for me.

[inhumation]

This smells like cocoa powder-covered multivitamins to me, both in the bottle and on me. :/

[Aveya]

Black Cat, black "13" orange label bottle.

In bottle - smells like decadent rich chocolate. Yum

Wet on Skin - As hubby says "Uh, you're just wearing chocolate now?"

 

Dry on skin - CUMIN. Hi there Cumin. Though I like to taste you, you don't smell so great on my skin. Could you maybe leave the party?

 

If I inhale and get all epic about it, my brain can find all the elements and appreciate how much complexity is in the scent. But on a passing "What's that smell" the answer is cumin, cocoa, and dust. Like, dry cocoa powder that got spilled in my spice cabinet.

 

I'll trade this along so someone who's skin doesn't just eat chocolate away can enjoy. Hopefully it's not just an age thing with the scent, it's a tiny bit old now.

[Lucchesa]

This 13 is lovely rich chocolate spice in the bottle but kind of odd on my skin. I don't know some of these notes -- ladybug beans, cascara sagrada, master root -- and the effect on me is less chocolate in my spice cabinet (though I do smell the cumin and allspice) than cocoa powder in an herbalist's storeroom, with bundles of dried herbs hanging every which where. A kind of dry, dark, earthy, herbal blend, not particularly sweet -- not unpleasant at all, but just not me.