Nyarlathotep

[Teggy]

Brooding, yet electric: the scent of buried secrets, roiling nightmares, the essence of the Crawling Chaos, the Father of Knives and Locusts, the Hunter in the Dark. This is the blackest of ritual incenses charged with flashes of ozone.

This is blackest incence and ozone? Really? I smell like Irish Spring. It's that happy-fresh-soap sent. Very comforting and clean, but not at all like the description.

[slave1]

NYARLATHOTEP

 

In Bottle: Fruity ozone

 

On Skin: I get a strong citrus feel from this one right off the bat. It’s a sweet lemon, maybe even verbena. There is also a very interesting dark aquatic note… not a bright summer’s wave, no this is a scary, dark deep “what’s down there” middle of the ocean feel. I am scared to death of dark water and this scent evokes that feeling. But I like it because the lemon gives a beautiful yellow glimmer of hope that cuts right through the scent. There is also a sweet incense spice that drifts in and out of the scent, so intriguing. I’m usually not crazy about lemon or aquatic scents, but these notes mixed together really work! A beautiful scent full of contrasts. A must try for sure! Medium throw but short wearlength.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Dark and bitter

 

On me:

I definitely get a dark citrus in this. Lemon I believe - and it's like lemon zest - it has a dark and slightly bitter quality to it. It's still quite bright though and very sharp. I'm surprised at how citrusy this is! Underneath it is a shock of dark ozone that lends a slight aquatic edge to this. But for the most part it's citrus!

 

Final note:

Totally not what I expected, I actually really like this one. It's sort of uplifting and pleasant, definitely a keeper!

[Voleuse]

Yow! Ozone and citrus definitely, but there's something darker underneath it. An odd spicy sweetness, and something intriguingly musky...that is morphing into a bleachy overtone even as I type. Augh! Well, before the blend went weird on me, it was quite refreshing, dark with spikes of brightness to it. Too bad about the morphing. Sigh.

[batsy]

In the vial: lemon-lime soda. Hrm?

 

On the skin: Ok there's the ozone! It's very lime-y and the pine is coming out in the drydown. Like a forest in a rainstorm. It's more of a manly scent, to my nose. Similar to like aftershave, in a way. I like it, but I wouldn't wear it.

[ouch!]

Ok, now... unfortunatley I have to deal with some of my friends telling me that all my imps smell like air freshner, and I, being the Obsessed person that I am, come to the rescue of the imps, try to point out a few notes to get them to understand and make them change their mind.

 

This time round though, I'm going to have to agree with my friends

 

 

This to me, smells like citrussy air freshener. It smells nothing like incense and it definately does not smell dark. I wish I could smell the incense note but hey!

 

It's quite a dissapointment actually, It's kind of like one of those air fresheners you'd get that's called, "Rain" or "summer breeze".

 

I think it would be best in an oil burner.

 

*Feels a bit bad for ripping into Nyarlathotep*

Edited January 16, 2007 by ouch!

[theseagrows]

this is an incensey ozone scent on my skin. it almost reminds me of the smell of rain on the sidewalk, but not quite, as this has a frankincensey vibe to it. bpals frankincense wont work with my chemistry, so ill have to swap this one. this is a very interesting scent though, dark and light at the same time.

[wanderingredhead]

In the imp this smells light and citrusy to me.

It smelled pretty much the same on my skin, but with a hint of spices...maybe a little clovey.

I thought "smells like lotion" but I have no idea WHY I thought that.

Dry, it's sharper, sweeter, with less tang and a little bit of dust. It still vaguely reminds me of lotion...come to think of it I thought had that same thought with Port au Prince. Maybe it's the hint of cloves.

 

ultimately it becomes darkly sweet, spicy and woody, but not heavy.

 

I enjoyed this scent although I can't see wearing it all that much. maybe a tad masculine for regular use.

[waternight]

In the bottle: Ooo, I really like it. Fruity and sweet and resinous. There definitely is an incense note in there, hidden under an aquatic note.

Wet/Drydown: This is very gentle, not the dark broody incense I was expecting. There IS an incense note, gently spicy and really lovely. There is a slight salty note that I’ve come to associate with aquatic/ozone blends, but it blends really really smoothly and well with the incense. Yup… incense and aquatic/ozone. I love it.

Dry: Ooo… it’s getting headier, spicier, and muskier. I think I’m in love. This is a very sexy scent. The ozone has virtually disappeared – there may be a very slight salty tinge, but dry, this is almost all sexy sexy incense, and I love it. After the really heady stage, it settles back down into a lovely, gentle scent. Very wonderful.

 

Definitely a keeper, and I'm glad Bard sent me a full bottle, because this will get lots of love.

[Browneyes]

Frimped in a swap, thanks littlewillow!

 

Imp + wet: Salty, watery, sweet citrus, and leaves. I am strongly reminded of a holiday in Greece a few years ago

Dry: Doesn't morph much, I still get the aquatic citrusy feel from it. The incense is ever so faint, like a whisp of smoke. I guess the visual imagery could be: standing under a lemon tree in the graveyard of a little chapel by the sea. In Greece

 

It's nice!

Edited February 7, 2007 by Browneyes

[filigree_shadow]

This is mainly ozone on me with the barest bit of of incense. It's kind of a light scent; it's barely there. This is more of my husband's kind of scent than mine -- and he likes this one.

[juniperus]

Bottle: electric incense. but that, I mean incense...but with a glow. I can't explain it - very interesting, however.

Wet: ooooh the ozone. how it hits me right in the sinuses, riiight in the middle. at least it's consistent.

Dry: behind the ozone is amazing..dark incenses, and deeply resonating resins...but...that headache. OMFG.

Later: ouch ouch ouch.

[jasmine]

My first thoughts after applying Nyarlathotep were, “Whoops -- oh, no -- CRAP -- argh, have to clean that up!” which would be because the imp squirted straight out of my fingers and I dumped Nyarlathotep everywhere.

 

Initially, Nyarlathotep struck me as a very high-pitched scent. Once I took a few more minutes to clean up the spill, it seemed more woody on my skin -- not woodsy, but a thin, slightly exotic blend of green woods. The observant will note that this doesn’t sound a thing like the lab description. I don’t know what to tell you -- what I smelled is what you get. Usually, I’m the first in line to complain about smelling like a full ashtray where incense is involved, but this is rather pleasant. I can’t detect anything that announces itself as ozone, either.

 

I didn’t apply Nyarlathotep lightly, but it’s staying green and thin and present without being offensive, which is nice. Right now, I rather like this, but I do take note of what it’s supposed to smell like, and I recognize that it may go evil on me without warning. I’m going to wear this with caution in the future... well, what little I have left.

[rhubarbcream]

Really, I didn't think I would like this scent at all -- mostly because of the ozone notes. But, when I put it on, it's just about the greatest smell I've ever smelled. I don't get the citrusy or woody notes that others have -- to my nose it smells like fresh cut clover. It's sweet, but not cloying. Not to mention that it lasts forever.

 

Here I was, thinking I would have to stick with spicy woody scents forever, and then this comes along.

[Myotis]

Okay, I know you're gonna laugh..but this one ON ME reminds me of Lemon Meringue, the character from Strawberry Shortcake.

Remember those little PVC figures that were scented? Well that is it. hehehehehe

It's very sweet and it's in my top 10 faves I'd say!

[euterpe414]

OK this one went horribly awry on me. I wanted to smell what other people are smelling but I am getting something on my skin that resembles a musty shower stall. This is one of the only BPALs that I have felt the urge to wash off after a few minutes. Ick. At least I know the imp will easily go to a good home.

[wikkidraven]

there's that familiar /flash/ of bpal ozone...and then i've dived straight into a vat of lemon pledge. the incense is peeking out a bit, this is a completely strange but not wholly unpleasant blend. it smells fresh, and somehow clean even with the lemony phase.

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: this scent reminds me of the smell steam coming off of cement after a violent thunderstorm.

 

Wet (on skin): the very darkest resins.

 

Dry: this scent is a bit too masculine for me, but it would be fabulous on the right person.

[DifferentDances]

It smelled iffy in the imp, so I didn't have high hopes for this.

 

On, it smells....like soapy burnt incense, like when you're trying to scrub out the remains of decades of incense burning from a metal plate. Then there's a weird hit of citrus, which makes it smell like you're scrubbing out the plate with antibacterial handsoap. Definitely not for me.

 

My rating: 1/5

[Naamah_Darling]

Indeed! Fascinating!

 

This is ozone/aquatic with a hint of incense. Frankincense, if you must know. And frankincense, the good kind, has a bit of a tang to it that is citric in quality, like lemon zest.

 

People are pegging this as citrusy, and it's really not. Not compared to, say, Phantasm, or any of the screaming verbena scents. This is ozone with a kick to it, and the incense notes give it depth: stormy, wet, salty, and very much alive, this has a real razzle-dazzle to it that I hadn't expected.

 

I don't think it's one I will keep, but I'm not sorry I tried it. I think its appeal might be best described as "electrifyingly clean." Like Zeus' slightly lemon-flavored lightningbolt, that leaves behind a puff of ozone and a whiff of ritual incense when it strikes.

 

Once that settles a bit, it becomes an ozone with bite, just a hint of resiny rasp. It's such an unusual, unexpected combination that it works in spite of itself. The pairing gives it a liveliness that it probably shouldn't have – a kind of unholy bearing, like something shocked into life.

 

Pretty cool.

 

What with the ozone/aquatics, it has some of the zest of the other aquatic blends I've liked really well, like Jolly Roger or Mist. I'm not married to it, but it's very neat, and worth a try for someone who can handle a bit of lemon. A good clean, after-shower sort of scent. Cool, but still has some presence.

[platyfrog]

Crap! The first BPAL to go awry on me! In a way it's a relief, since I was beginning to think my nose was just SO bad it couldn't tell when things smelled icky on me.

 

But, no, Nyarlathotep is not a good match for my chemistry: it turns into soap. Soap, soap, soap, soap, with nary a hint of citrus OR incense or any of the other lovely notes people have mentioned (except for... you guessed it... soap). Not particularly fresh or nice soap (although not offensively bad soap, either) — just garden-variety soap.

 

Funny, because I've by now tried a few other scents that overlapping notes with this scent, and they work fabulously. Sorry, Nyarlathotep. You and I were not meant to be together.

 

Plus point: it faded more quickly than others I've tried. Final caveat: I am mildly ill right now. I'm going to try it again when I feel better, and if that changes my experience, I'll edit this. But as long as this stands as is, presume Platyfrog + Nyarlathotep = Yurk.

 

 

Update: I thought the soapiness might be due to either my skin or nose when ill. But I'm back to health, and the blend is still a no-go soapy one on me. Sigh. Ah, well....

Edited July 29, 2007 by Platyfrog

[Elilara]

In the bottle he was incense and ozone- interesting- lighter than I expected.

 

On, he started into a dance of dark incenses and subtle smoke- oh yeah, that's what I was looking for...

 

After about two minutes he turned to happy dancing lemons. I'm confused. I didn't get the citrus at any other point, and I don't even get it now that I'm expecting it.

 

He's a tricksy one.

[nightchild80]

In the Imp (wet): Why do I smell watermelon as the prelude?! It has the warmth, but it lacks the overpowering headiness that comes with most incense scents.

 

On facial cotton (dry): I'm still getting watermelon. The scent is rich and dark, without the musky mildewy scent that drives me insane. It's surprisingly fresh.

 

On me: I can only describe the initial notes of this scent as follows - imagine sitting by a fresh life-filled pond after a rainy summer day with a huge pile of chilled watermelons and a pitcher of chilled dark rum. That's the smell I get. And it matures into a more generic scent of dark thick sweetness.

[alicia_stardust]

NYARLATHOTEP

 

This has a charged, clean scent ozone that sits just above a swarthy, dark incense. It reminds me of myrrh and something else that is almost earthy and fiery. There is a touch of something citrus that is possibly lemongrass or grapefruit. Overall this has a masculine tinge to it but I like it anyway. It's really fitting a scent for Nyarlathotep.

[Pyrebi]

I just...cannot figure this one out. It's so bizarre! Not bad at all, just...wow.

 

In the bottle: Do you know the scent of a really-well-made fruitcake? It's reminescent of that. Dried fruits which have been revived with rum, with a bit of spiciness. Oh! I've got it. It smells just like biting into a fig bar. It's the most unusual thing ever.

 

Wet: Whoa. It's so dark. I'm just being punched by the sheer blackness of the scent. I didn't know anything could do that. Can't smell anything else right now. Just molten darkness.

 

Dry: Here we go. It's still almost impossibly dark, but now I'm getting the ozone a bit. The incense is really spicing up. I want to call it acrid, but it's not--that's just the feeling I get. This might seem kind of silly, but the longer I sniff at this, the more frightened I get. Nyarlathotep smells like impending doom, and I'm getting a pit in my stomach. I think...I think this is what one must realize in the split second before one is struck by lightning.

 

This oil is fascinating, but it's far too scary for me to wear regularly. Still, what an accomplishment.

 

EDIT: *laughs* I just read the rest of the reviews for this scent. "Light" and "citrusy"? What the hell is wrong with my chemistry?

Edited December 11, 2007 by Pyrebi