So Below

[The Poison Queen]

Amber and black copal with black coconut, Sumatran red patchouli, green cardamom pod, and golden musk.

In the bottle: Amber and coconut. Not normally something I would like, but I do!

Wet: Coconut, amber and musk. Really a beautiful scent, I'm impressed with both of these!

Drydown: Musky, almost vanilla coconut, but not in a foodie way at all, just in a very pleasant, close to the skin smell. Not a ton of sillage on me, but I like this one too!

[Trickster]

In the bottle: Pale amber, not the deep, dark amber like in The Lion but much more light and pleasant.

 

Wet: Toasted coconut and amber with something else I think may be the green cardamom pod.

 

Dry: There's the patchouli. Patchouli, musk, and copal, I think, but I also get a hint of something that smells like leather, which isn't in this blend.

 

edit: About a minute later: Ah, and the amber returns!

Edited October 4, 2013 by Trickster

[tziporra]

My whole (very poorly packaged - hopefully HM fixes this) mailer smells of ambery amberness. Yum.

 

Wet it is PATCHOULI AND COPAL. It is a little screechy, I'm not gonna lie. Red patch reads as straight up wood on my skin so this is like the inside of a copal filled treasure chest that was just sanded.

 

Then it settles down on the back of my hand and the toasted coconut and cardamom combine into something carmelly and rich and slightly smoky. Like someone made a moxibustion stick out of coconut and cardamom and left it burning on top of an unfinished wood table - so that some of the sweet pitch kind of melted into it and made the most fantastic smelling horrific mess you can imagine. Not foody, but ridiculously sweet and smoky and so yum.

 

It is amazing. And like nothing else I own - maybe it is black patchouli in Goblin, but So Below is nothing at all like that.

 

Throw is not bad - I have to huff everything, but I'm going to layer this with some coconut oil on my hands to see if I can get my skin to not eat it.

 

I can see how this would layer well, too. Interestingly I can smell a leather shaped "hole" in it. Maybe I will get my hands on some As Above to try it with.

 

Regards,

 

Tzi

 

Eta: in case you can't tell from notes and my reviews, this is soooooooper manly. My husband took a deep whiff and said, _thats_ what I like you to wear! no flowers! just cologne.

 

Etaa: oooooooooooomigerd. This gets better and better. A few days later the patch has backed off some and it's amber and copal and coconut loveliness wet with the dry red patchouli grounding the whole thing. I get the holy grail squees down thread, this is amazing. Going to stalk sales page now.

Edited October 10, 2013 by tziporra

[Ella LaRose]

This is the BEST thing I have ever smelled in my entire life!! My bpal signature scent! I can't convey how much I can gush about this!!!

Opening when wet, dark, sticky am er. Amber the resin, no powder, deep gold amber. Then the patchouli comes rolling in. Making the amber dark and sexy, I know the patch is supposed to be red but it smells like the patchouli in feed me and fill me, but a tad softer.

The golden musk swirls through these two spiraling the amber and patch closer together. With the cardamom just a slight spice to the tempo.

As it dries the scents dance closer and loser until I can't pick one out, I just get the most SEXY dark velvety amber I have ever smelled! Sweet, rich, dark and powerful.

This is the BEST bpal blend ever and I am desperate for more, hoard worthy, more then hoard worthy! I am officially crazy obsessed!!

[midnight_aeval]

Oh my, my, my, my, my... I love this so much! The only note I was scared about was coconut as it usually turns plasticky on me. So delicious; warm, sweet, slight spice. Exactly how I love my perfume :wub2: And it's sweet without being foodie... love love, must get a lot more

[ladymeag]

In the bottle - Coconut and something... green. Can't quite put my nose on it but it's definitely green.

 

On the skin - Warm coconut vanilla creme. It's definitely creamy. The throw on this seems to largely be coconut but when you get close-in you can smell the warm musk and amber. The patchouli isn't here at all, which means it should age into wonderfulness and show up in about year, in my general BPAL experience. I was expecting more green-peppery-spice with the 'green cardamom pod' but it's not here. Perhaps it will age in? I'm very happy with it as it stands, though, a warm coconut creamy vanilla-amber scent, less sweet than Elegba.

 

On my spouse - Warm coconut caramels. No, really that's it. Or as he described it, slightly toasted classic Samoas cookie (what is now known as a Caramel deLite.)

 

AS ABOVE and SO BELOW layered together:

Warm, creamy, leather with a little bit of coconut sweetness and almond warmth. The complexities of As Above really add to So Below's warmth making for a complex and wonderful perfume - I highly recommend layering them.

 

If you like this try: Elegba, Perversion

[SophieCedar]

I'll say this in both As Above and So Below reviews: as a set, they're very complimentary and work well worn simultaneously on the body, given their own spots. They have a wonderful glowing duality.

 

So Below is warm, meaty, and glowing. Well rounded, unexpectedly refined, slightly foody, pronounced warm patchouli that doesn't take over, and glowing dark copal. The golden musk and green cardamom pod notes surprised me. I see the representation of a basal scent, but it translates as higher-end than I was envisioning when I read the notes. Overall, I'm psyched about it. Unexpectedly awesome.

[ljaylh]

This is so much like several other BPALs that I know and love - yet uniquely different. It's like Beth has gathered up all my favourite blends and somehow mixed them together to create something that smells hauntingly familiar yet intriguingly different.

 

I recognise the warm meaty sweetness of my beloved black coconut (soft here, like in Haragata II rather than gnarly like in Body, Remember), and oh hey there's my most-loved patch.. Sumatran Red, warm and luscious. I have a real thing for Beth's 'golden' blends, and here we've got golden musk swirled together with soft dusky amber - it's like having a snuggly golden moonbeam blanket wrapped around me. The green cardamom adds an interesting tang of slight spice (it's a little wasabi-like, to my nose) - it's not obviously spicy, but there's a nice soft almost-peppery tone in the background. The only thing that's not really winning me over here is the copal - it tends to lay a bit flat on my skin, and has a habit of smothering other notes, and unfortunately that's what I'm getting here - the copal itself is beautifully waxy and silky but it is dominating a little more than I'd like.

 

Overall, this blend has a lovely luminescence to it - a definite glow - it's quite soft and close to the skin... I really have to lean in close to get a good nose-full of it - more like the fragrance on your skin after applying a decadent body creme, rather than an obvious perfume - so it doesn't have quite the oomph that I was hoping for. But I do love how the richness of the black coconut + patchouli are lurking under the top layer of golden musk and amber, all under the cover of creamy copal. Over time, the musk + amber fade before the patchouli does, but the copal stays for the long haul.

 

Patchouli haters dislikers - do not fear this... it really isn't that 'stinky hippie' patch that people have trouble with... but if you love those elusive, lean-in-to-sniff-me soft golden-glow type blends then this is definitely worth a try.

[Monday]

The green cardamom reminds me of the tamarind in Forever is Mercy Built which also has the amber thus, in my scent-memory, they smell rather alike.

On my skin wet: Masculine musk with a sour green note. There is a tiny bit of coconut in the background but not enough to sweeten the blend.

On my skin dry: Yep there's Forever is Mercy Built again, there was a note in there which went to plastic smoke So Below does the same on my skin. The musk and amber do combine very nicely in the background and the patch is the last note to come by. The coconut has disappeared.

I wish I got the creaminess that others are getting but I get a heady masculine blend with added burnt plastic.

[seussala]

Squeee! On me this is a perfect blend of patchouli (much like the sumatran red sn) and black coconut. Its slightly creamy and some incense in the back. I am so in love!!! Rawr. After a few minutes, the amber comes out and the golden musk. Its a very dark, sexy, golden type scent. Black gold, you know. People who have trouble with the coconut plasticky situation might find this on the borderline. I find it walks the edge but never strays into plastic territory. I find it to be pretty complex and it morphs a bit. Why must it be so expensivo?!

[Mellifluous]

I have to borrow a bit from SSDB's review. It does very much remind me of a luxurious body butter. That dark coconut and amber and beautiful patchouli. Not to mention the copal, and cardamom. Deliciously rich and slightly golden, and just reminds me of gentle warmth and mildly sweet earthy resins.

 

After finally breaking down and testing So Below, I am equally glad and sad it is nowhere near BB. Much more similar to FMAFMWP. Although, definitely better than FMAFMWP was on me. I like what the green cardamom brings to the scent, and of course my beloved coconut.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but i think i might have actually liked this better without the amber. Or if it was a more benzoin-y amber maybe. The labdanum aspect of the amber accord used just doesnt mix well with the patchouli on my skin... Well, not as well as hemp and black vanilla, that is

 

Definitely still a keeper. And a blend I will love. I'll probably even make a large dent in my bottle.

[MCS4096]

Oh this is nice

 

I'm having some trouble picking out specific notes beside coconut, for some reason.. Maybe I'm off my game a bit tonight. The coconut is toasty and sweet, and the primary component of the throw, for me. Beneath that is sweet, creamy, golden base. I agree with others-- my first impression was of a thick body cream. And floating above the coconut is a faint, somewhat green scent. Not sure if that's the cardamom, as the name would seem to indicate, but my impression is of something fresh and planty, but in a non-aquatic way.

 

Yes, I find the coconut a little plasticy up close, but the throw is fine. It's very very similar to Elegba on my skin. I like it a lot, and I love wearing it with As Above (one on each wrist) and getting intermingled throws, but I'm not sure at this point I need more than one bottle.

[suki]

In The Bottle: Black coconut (which isn't at all foodie), that sexy smoky patchouli, and a touch of the cardamom. Fantastic already!

 

Wet On Skin: Wow. It's morphed a bit, and that copal and amber are adding this rich, resin-y aspect to the scent. It reminds me just slightly of valerian root, actually- that rich, heady, earthy thing that valerian does- it's doing THAT. Also, the amber is staying surprisingly well-behaved and (so far!) not becoming powdery on me. *Fingers crossed*

 

Dry Down: Oh YEAH. This is sexy-sweet, deep, dark and resiny. This is a scent for wearing to the clubs when seduction is not just on the menu but the ONLY item on the menu. It sinks deeper and deeper into the skin and stays there, breeding magics for incubi and succubi

 

In All: Low to medium throw, this scent definitely clings to the skin. Still, I'd advise to use a light touch during the first few applications- this is not something to slather. This is a scent to allow closeness. Too much and it'll become overpowering. Just enough and you draw them ever further into your web

 

Layered with As Above: Well, As Above didn't do so well on me. I had to lightly wash some of it off. Even with it partially gone, the leather is STILL dominating. So Below tempers it some, and as I said in the other review, I'll hold on to As Above for a little while- when I retest, I'll be sure to try it again with So Below. For now, I certainly prefer So Below all by it's lonesome. It's wonderful all on it's own

[whataboutprom]

So, uh... Where can I buy this by the gallon?

I'm not sure I can add much to what has already been said. The dry-down of So Below is a soft, sensual, amber/better than skin scent that actually has some throw and lasting power. Utterly gorgeous.

 

 

[dementia_divine]

In the decant: Very resiny and incense-y. The black copal is the dominant note.

 

Wet: I am mainly getting the black copal on my skin at the moment. As time passes, the black coconut seems to lighten it up a bit, but the black copal is still the dominant note. I am glad that the Sumatran red patchouli isn't problematic at the moment (as patchouli and I are not friends). This reminds me of an old bookshelf or chest.

 

Dry: The black coconut has started to peek out more, and it really complements the copal and the amber. This is a nice surprise!

 

Verdict: I don't think that I need a bottle of this, but I will definitely keep my decant (especially since I think this would be great on the boy).

[zankoku_zen]

Musky coconut and patchouli.

 

This is a down, dirty, gritty coconut.

 

In other words, this is the coconut that will break your heart. And you'll love it for doing so.

[whataboutprom]

Just ordered a second bottle. This will be the only BPAL for which I have a backup bottle. I go through perfume so slowly, that I never buy more than one, but I think I have just come to terms with So Below being my Holy Grail scent.

[Alainn]

I hate to be a downer, but this blend made me sad.

 

Wet, it was all patchouli, creamy coconut, cardamom, and a nice smoky note from the copal, and the combo was amazing. But as happens sometimes with certain types of amber (such as the type found in Sin, which did the same thing), this turns into armpit on my skin. So then I was left with cardamom, creamy coconut, and armpit, which unfortunately an even worse combo than it sounds. I scrubbed it off and smothered it with Black Butterfly Moon, and even then kept getting whiffs of B.O for hours afterward. So, in the plus column, it has staying power, and respectable throw...

 

[theseagrows]

as soon as i saw as above and so below i knew i had to try them. this scent is lovely. in the bottle, i think all i smells is cardamom and patchouli, but it blooms quite a bit more on my skin, into something gorgeous. it's a coconutty-caradmom-musk. the amber and musk are balanced so well with the vanilla, copal and cardamom, that no note really sticks out too strongly...they are blended perfectly. this is so sexy and modern, i love it! it doesn't smell exactly like it, but i am getting a bit of a similar feeling to snake charmer. i'm not sure why...maybe the fact that it's sexy and has coconut. i love both as above and so below. so glad i got them both, but i knew that they would be perfect for me and i was right.

 

in a word, both of these are hoardworthy. at least for me.

Edited December 6, 2013 by theseagrows

[Atrous]

This is my favorite of the Haute Macabre scents!

Dries down to a dark and mysterious scent. Musky, black coconut is at the front with an dark, earthy resinous base. The cardamon lends a bit of spice to round it out.

This one's a keeper along with the rest of the Haute Macabre line.

I'm going to have to try layering them as some of the reviews have suggested.

[milo]

Quite woody when wet, reminding me somewhat of Haloes, more feminine than unisex. I like how this blend dries on me, it's so well blended that I can't really tell what the notes are, or what dominates. It's a warm, musky vanilla, not getting any coconut, though it's kind of sweet, but not too sweet, and a touch of patchouli. Bottle worthy to me, I hope it sticks around for awhile.

[ladyjc]

I this!

 

When it first arrived a couple weeks ago I was very intrigued. I get a lot of the coconut backed up by the amber. It's sweet, but not too sweet. It reminds me in a way of the GC Brown Jenkin. Something about the creamy/dusty coconut.

 

I'm currently addicted to layering this with Snake Oil. Something about incensey, ambery, coconut just really hits the spot for me.

 

verdict: might need a backup if & when it becomes available again!

[OctoberGwen]

When I first apply this and for quite some time after application, I get a note that is just screaming-sweet bad on me. Is it the copal? The cardamom? I'm not sure. I can smell yummy black coconut underneath, but that's about it.

 

Much, much later this softens down into something quite beautiful. Alas, it's not worth suffering through the initial phases.

[Lorna Brigid]

I first got to try this in late December/early January.

I did not have any money in December to be able to purchase a bottle, because I was still catching up from being on a medical leave from work, but I would have liked to.

Now oh, I wish I would have!!!

I tried it from a swap box in a tester, and fell in love, and felt the NEEEEEEED for a bottle....You know, that intense craving you get for a scent, that craving that so rarely hits so hard....

Was DISO for several weeks, til a kind Forumite let me buy her bottle.

SO Below is SO good.......

Warm, sweet, smoky, creamy....This patch does not go pungent on me, thanks to the cardamom, the patch keeps it from being too foody, and the coconut is more like a body butter, like what was said above......Just, ugh!!! Soooo beautiful and comforting with a shmexy side.... sooooo goooooood.....*eyes roll back in my head*

[Balame]

I'm really loving this one. I was a little unwhelmed when I first put it on. Everything was muddled and it smelled like a generic musk with equally vague resins. Thankfully I wasn't getting the cardamom since I was worried it would be very herbal and sharp, but I wasn't smelling any coconut either, which I wanted.

 

I let it sit for about 15 minutes, then it became amazing. It wears really close to the skin and turns into a slightly powdery but sweet amber with a smooth toasted coconut and hazy woods. I love that all my favorite notes became more defined, yet the cadamom didn't decide to rear its head - at least in the way I expected. When my husband smelled it he could pick out a "camphor" sort of scent, and when I try to find it there is a slight sharpness among the top notes, but it blends very well with everything else.

 

The only thing that would make it better was if it was stronger (because why not be enveloped in such a great scent?), but it's really nice. Makes me think of Banshee Beat + Black Pearl, but it's much softer than either of the two (and not boozy like BP). Still equally sexy and complex.