The Storyteller

[tarotgirl99]

The Raconteur, the Town Gossip, and the first character to appear on the stage in the first act. He is the Minstrel of the Heavens, the Devil’s Messenger, spinning morality tales, singing songs of loss, laughter, and triumph, and murmuring prophecies to all.

Beeswax, leather, hearth wood, and campfire smoke.

The Storyteller is amazing. The beeswax gives the scent a sweetness, but the leather, wood and especially the campfire smoke make it so SEXY. I haven't huffed my wrist like this for a scent since I can't remember. It's unique but not bizarre, and that's a fine line for someone like me, who is not a huge scent groundbreaker.

 

This is bottle-essential.

 

Nice wear length, decent throw.

[Balame]

Oh myyy, this blend is MAXIMUM COZY.

 

Usually BPAL's leather and smoke are pretty in your face, so I was expecting an aggressive scent. Yet this is far more like a crackling hearth fire than a blazing campfire.

 

Initially I smell what almost comes across as pine or juniper. A soft, cool camphor with candle smoke. This quickly dies out and gives way to a drizzle of beeswax, followed by the most beautiful, buttery leather. It's not at all as fierce as it is in blends like Fighter or Rogue. This puts me more in the mind of Not So Penitent Mini Magdalene, with its homey yet understated sensuality.

 

Everything is blended wonderfully; nothing dominates. By the time it's settled, this is a hazy mix of beeswax, supple leather and a wisp of woodsmoke. And everything is so soft and smooth. I think of a pile of weary travelers cuddled near the hearth as The Storyteller mutters in a pattering drone, whispering his tales... and before long they're all asleep, skin warmed by the fire's blurring embers.

 

If you love cuddly blends or are usually afraid of leather/woods/smoke and want something imminently wearable, this is the one. It's a little more subtle than my usual blends, but even I'm going to need more of this around. Very evocative and soothing, one of a kind.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Balame

[Casablanca]

The Storyteller is initially campfire smoke-dominant on me. It's a cozy, rustic smoke of cindery wood, with just a hint of dark leather. The combination gives a roadside, night-stop, itinerant-fire mood.

The leather note grows on me after drydown. I don't catch any beeswax from the blend until it has lived for hours on my skin. Then a surprise golden-brown sweetness emerges. It's quiet, and a little caramel-toned, as beeswax notes sometimes smell to me. It reminds me of the beeswax in Dalliances by Candlelight (beeswax, white patchouli, honey).

I've wanted a great campfire blend for a while, and this is my fave to date. It has settled a couple days, and I'm curious how a couple months will develop it.

[JMorgynWhite]

Storyteller is woah - a unique Bpal for me. I’ve never smelled one like it.

To me it smells Like lemon spritzed broiled lobster campfire.It’s got this smoked-bonfire-meat thing and I want to roll in it. It has a spritz of lemon so like a bbq dinner heavy on smoke then you spritzed lemon on it - smokey lemon but maybe even with a hint of vanilla or even BBQ'd lemons with some spice like dry rub. Maybe I’m just hungry.

After looking at the description. It’s hearth wood and bonfire smoke predominant on me. The beeswax/leather might be what I'm getting 'food' out of I will need a bottle of this just for its uniqueness.

Final dry: A lingering trail of woodsmoke which makes it a winner for me.

[zankoku_zen]

Smoke, lemon and leather. It's got this smoky citrus edge to the leather. Manly. Definitely. It's interesting how the leather in this is very insubstantial. Sort of wispy. Like leather gas? Yeah. That.

[LizziesLuck]

Beeswax and campfire smoke? Yes please! Instant blind bottle

 

Wet: This is the same amazing smoke note from Baby's First Krampuslauf. Mixed with sweet beeswax and woods, it's divine. I was a bit worried about the leather, but it's the soft worn kind I like, very subtle. This is mostly about the smoke and sweet woods. It's amazing. Makes me want to go start a bonfire.

 

 

Dry: This is soft and subtle hours later, but still very present. Gorgeous sweet smoke and woods. Like the most perfect bonfire. I love it. I have nothing even remotely like it.

[Alaeidrel]

I mostly get soft, warm smoke and wax out of this. I'm sure there's woods and leather under it, but they're not strong on me and just round out the scent. It's a gorgeous, low-throw, sexy scent and I adore it.

[Aveya]

Source: Decant Circle

Preconception: Preeeettty sure I'm going to hate it. But I have this inability to pass up campfire scents. Because I just... so much emotion comes out. So, I got this one emotionally.

 

Vial: Sweet campfire. Sweet? That's a surprise.

Skin: Sweet campfire! Maybe it's the beeswax. it's not sugary or honey based, but it is sweet. Gently natural sweet. God that's absolutely stunning. This isn't a roaring fire, this is a nice controlled campfire. You can still smell fresh wood, unburnt. And the fire smoke is gentle and not abrasive. It's a nice nook where this fire is, no wind pitching soot into your face. This is a perfect storytelling fire.

Drydown: Leather starts to peak out more, but it sort of steps up as the smoke steps down for me. But that underlying sweetness continues. In this stage it starts to feel more pine and outdoorsy than earlier. But generally it's a sweet warm beeswax with a faint edge of soft cozy leather and campfire smoke. SO FLIPPING BEAUTIFUL.

 

Verdict: A surprising hit. This is the best emotional pick I've ever had, and will be buying a bottle. The scent itself comes across masculine-leaning, but could be worn by anyone with ease. I'm going to go slather it on my husband right now. Dee is his scent at the moment, this might usurp it.

 

Edit: Husband at first is ALL leather, and some smoky background. We'll see how drydown goes.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Aveya

[lady_pandora]

This is fantastic! It starts out smelling like a honeyed campfire, and morphs into smelling like soft honeyed leather, a bit like that Ploutos imp they did for Black Friday a few years ago. The honey/beeswax keeps it from tipping into the masculine, for me, and this is one of the most comforting BPALs I've ever smelled. I think I need a bottle.

[Jenjin]

 

We strike a fire. Blankets, soft sweaters inside leather, and warm skin lit up by flickering flames. Wild branches from the woods, the thickest trunks smoking and charring the night sky. Transfixed by the flames, the pops and crackles chase the flying embers and the fire comes to life. The creamy wax note is sweet and perfectly balances with the smoke and leather, creating something utterly glowing, unique and luxurious. Like sinking my nose into tossed clothes the next day, after experiencing magic beside a woodfire made with shining, golden branches. I can't WAIT to wear this once the weather cools down. This is an accidental, dizzying perfume love affair for me.

[dementia_divine]

In the decant: I can smell the beeswax, the woodsmoke, some pine, and then, the leather, which is a soft, well-worn variety.

 

Wet: The beeswax and campfire smoke are the most prominent notes on my skin. The campfire smoke has a beef jerky vibe to it at first, but the beeswax and the pine help to tame it. The well-worn brown leather emerges and sidles up to the beeswax.

 

Dry: The beeswax is still the main player. The campfire smoke has calmed down significantly and just smells like woodsmoke without the beef jerky association that I originally got from it. The well-worn brown leather is still beside the beeswax. The lovely pine note is very faint now. I have to inhale really deeply to smell it.

 

Verdict: I enjoy the beeswax, leather, and pine, but the campfire smoke in this is a little too strong for my liking during the wet phase, so I won’t be needing a bottle of this one. This has made me want a beeswax and pine scent, though.

[Lucchesa]

More love here for The Storyteller. I tested it side by side with Hearth 2017, and on my skin Storyteller won hands down. They both are smoky, but the Storyteller's smoke is wilder and sweeter. And if the word "smoke" makes you think "vetiver" and head for the hills, don't. This isn't vetiver, it's the aroma of a roaring fire that's blazed down enough in places to roast marshmallows over the glowing embers. I didn't get overt beeswax or leather at first; both began to emerge with drydown. This is super lovely and evocative, and I agree that it's going to be perfection come autumn.

[lizardskin]

I tested this a few times, hoping it just needed to settle, because I really wanted to like this one. Sadly, I think some skin chemistry nonsense is ruining it for me. In the beginning it goes through a sticky sweet phase that dries into something . . . gummy? That hangs around for longer than I'd like. After a while the smoke emerges along with fresh/unburnt wood. I like this later part, but the early stickiness ruins it for me.