Death Cap

[Juushika]

A lethal poison bundled up in a dainty, innocent little package that was oft times found in ancient witches’ flying ointments and astral projection balms. A warm, soft, ruddy scent, earthy and mild.

In the vial: The softest hint of warm dirt.

On me: Sweet dirt. It's ingenious, but difficult to describe. The dirt is fine, light, and slightly warm—almost fluffy, really. The sweetness is light vanilla, almost marshmallow; it's very mild, and its creaminess is balanced by the dryness of the dirt. The soil grows slightly more ruddy during wear, but it remains quite light. The combination is gentle, sweet, warm, comforting, mellow, natural, unusual—an unexpected sweet soil scent which manages to be both remarkable and subtle in one go, wearable yet intriguing. Its color is languid lavender, a soft, pale, grayed purple; the throw is miserably low, but the scent is worth slathering.

Verdict: I adore Death Cap, and only wish that it were stronger. It's an unusual dirt blend that (like Penny Dreadful) branches out from dirt's usual companions into something delightfully unexpected: vanilla. I'm very glad that I tried it, and treasure my imp; because (unlike most BPAL) I slather this one, I see a potential bottle in my future. Edited October 20, 2008 by Juushika

[femmefatale]

Dirty hippie coconut.

 

'Nuff said.

[Iceblink]

Awesomely fresh, sweet dirt! This almost smells a little chocolatey to me and seems a little more wearable than some of the other dirt blends as a result. Yummy.

[crebbsgirl]

I was a little scared to try this after a rather horrific experience with Graveyard Dirt, but I thought I would give it a try. And OMG am I glad I did. There is a similar component to Graveyard Dirt here, but it takes a backseat to the rest of the notes, so that you get a slight dirt "tone" but nothing predominant. I smell vanilla and a hint of patchouli. Its a warm earthy scent, and I love it.

[Coldfire]

Imp: earthy but teeny bits of green

Wet on Me: earthy, wee bits of green and sweet?

Like a coconut?

Drying Down: smells like someone dropped a

coconut in my fresh bag of soil and some mulch.

Dry: I’m a gardener. This is heaven to me.

This smells like working in my garden in spring…the earth a

lil green a lil mulch…oh it’s gardeners heaven.

[Mousesong]

Old review follows.

 

New review, with more adventurous nose:

 

The same actual observations about notes, etc. apply: vanilla extract poured onto a warm, slightly moist heap of dark, dark loam.

 

But that whole "wow, this is gorgeous" has totally overcome my initial fear. I am going to go add this to my potential bottle list. It's one of the most lovely and soothing things I've ever smelled.

 

I think part of the gorgeousness, also, came from the aging, not just my own maturing nose. It's a lot less WHOOMPH now and a lot richer than I remember it being, darker.

 

This is a really bizarre blend, speaking as a total newbie.

 

When I first opened the imp I didn't get "slight" or "faint" dirt. I got a huge fistful of dirt flung right into my face. My mom, however, did not. I took a few more whiffs and I could get the vanilla on the underneath but it was definitely fighting the dirt.

 

On? Mom says: "Oh god, that reeks of dirt. Why do you want to smell like dirt?" And I answered that I didn't but I wanted to know if you could actually BOTTLE that smell, and hot damn, you can. Accurately. Painfully accurately.

 

On and semi-dry, the vanilla starts to crop up, and this is my first BPAL vanilla note and now I cannot wait for Dorian and Snake Oil to get here. Unfortunately I'm having to go through the dirt for it, which is less than pleasant. I expected dirt, so I mean, this isn't disappointing or anything, it's just fascinating to me!

 

After it dries completely I can tell that a lot of people would find this utterly gorgeous. It's definitely a soothing scent. Vanilla and dirt blend surprisingly well, and it's beautifully warm and soft around the edges. But I, personally, don't like the smell of dirt.

 

Curiosity satisfied! Off to swaps.

 

EDIT: If I don't like it, why can't I stop smelling my arm? This is fascinating.

 

EDIT2: Because it smells flipping gorgeous after about a half-hour, that's why. But I cannot deal with the wet stages, so unfortunately not a keeper for me.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Mousesong

[Gwydion]

In Bottle: It smells like mushrooms and dry dirt, with a chalk chaser. Wet: Mush as in the bottle, only faintly musky. Smells of vetiver. Dry; Mostly rich dry loam. I can almost wear this. Heartbreaking.

[rayvn1]

Warm? check! Soft, ruddy, earthy and mild? Double check! This is not terribly dirt smelling or plant like for that matter, but it is a really enjoyable scent! Warm and almost leathery? buttery? It's hard to describe but is infinitely wearable!

[Ohmaude]

In the vial: It's like I am digging my hands in to dark, rich soil. Wow!

 

On my wrist: Ooh this gets musky. Dirty musk and a bit of Vanilla sweetness.

 

Laters: Soft Vanilla musk and the slight hint of earthiness. Lovely!!

[MCS4096]

In the Imp: While not all dirt smells like this, this certainly smells like dirt! Absolutely a must sniff for anyone interested in BPALs more unusual offerings. You may not want to wear it (although I do) but you definitely need to smells this. It is moist dirt, freshly turned, and you can catch the slightest hint of vanilla.

 

Wet: You can get a little more of the vanilla and light musk now.

 

Dry: Not a lot of change.. it's DIRT but in the nicest way. It isn't manure or compost, it's the highest quality vanilla soil I love this layered under other (sweet especially) scents to ground them and calm them a bit. It's a close wearer as others have said, and would need to be slathered to achieve much throw.. but when mixed with another scent the effect is subtle without screaming dirt (but you know in your head you're wearing dirt!) I think I'll probably get around to buying a bottle.

[CynicalPink]

Disclaimer: Every "earthy" scent I've tried has made me smell either like a compost heap or a really aggressive cough drop. And on that note

 

Imp: Well that's dirt all right. And coconut?

 

Wet: No coconut, sadly, but something pine-y instead

 

Drydown: I can't really pin down what's going on. There's dirt, but it's not a "dirty" smell. Smoothness from vanilla and maybe even chocolate. But then there's this little hint of something woodsy on the end of the sniff. It's really complex and warm without making me smell unwashed like other "earth" scents do.

 

Overall: I keep waiting for something to make me hate this. This was a frimp and I would have NEVER bought it for myself. In fact, I would have avoided it at all costs. But it's staying...kinda nice? I have no idea what to make of it, but I'm definitely surprised how pleasant Death Cap is.

Edited January 6, 2009 by CynicalPink

[jehrichardson]

Soft, dry, warm soil. Potatoey - it has that slight vegetal tang with the earth.

 

After a bit, the soil fades and we get musky resins.

 

It's really quite lovely, but as I'm not a fan of smelling like soil unless I've been rolling in it, I'll pass on this one. Outstanding concept, however, and very very well played.

[acidrica]

I didn't get to smell this in the imp....because the imp ended up on me. Not all of it, just...some. Cue flashback to me as a kid playing in the garden. It was creepy. It smelled just like old plant roots with soil still clinging to it. Everything that came out of the imp ended up on my fingers and the label, so I desperately tried to get it all to the back of my hand. I didn't succeed. Two hours later it smells like I've been working in the garden.

 

But wait, there's more. It's a sexy garden. More specifically, a mushroom....a sexy mushroom dryad. I kid you not, that's the visual I got. A deadly, beautiful mushroom dryad that lures you in with her coy smile and musky scent....just before sucking the life out of you. The thought of that is just so unique that I think I'll hold on to this imp.

 

Of course, I put this on right before trying to go to bed, so your mileage with dryad lady may vary.

[Bamels]

I love the smell of damp woodlands and of mushrooms so I was probably over hopeful on this one.

 

In the bottle it smells sweet and nondescript. It reminds me of the imps that don't suit me and get given away I wish this was darker and more damp.

 

On me I can smell coconut like somebody mentioned and unfortunately I am not coconut's biggest fan. A deeper sniff lends me the earth factor which is fantastic, stop hiding and get to the front! When drying the earth is coming to the front more and more, but I can still smell coconut, be gone!

 

When dry it's just too sweet for me. I can smell the earth if I sniff hard enough, but I wanted more of it.

 

I won't be getting a bottle, but will probably keep the imp purely because I like the name!

[tdgnika]

Wet in the imp, definitely very mild. Doesn't really smell like...anything I can identify.

 

Wet on the skin - smells like mustiness, but a good mustiness. Like a museum or the House on the Rock (for those of you familiar with Neil Gaiman's American Gods or tourist attractions in Spring Green, Wisconsin), oddly enough.

 

I really like it. I don't think this is an everyday wear, but when I'm feeling nostalgic, definitely.

[kjirstiben]

Initially applied, Death Cap is a spicy dirt scent. It's reminiscent of Graveyard Dirt but with an edge and not quite as loamy in quality.

 

It dries a little spicier, and some sweetness emerges--quite interesting, I can see why this makes a good base note for layering.

 

In its later stages, the scent goes faintly sweet--the scent of clean vanilla. Still quite earthy but definitely a sweet note.

 

Recaplet: Spicy dirt that grows increasingly sweet over time.

My rating: 3 of 5 (Nice enough.)

Color impression: Pink-tinged taupe.

[MisterShrapnel]

I'm excited to try this, as I've been curious about it for ages.

Creamy vanilla/coconut/something sprouting out of a very mild dirt. When dry it's a very unassuming but unusual scent, tinged with something warm and quietly alive; it's a bit musky. I don't particularly get "MUSHROOMS," but this is subtly earthy and yes, I can see that Death Cap would be easy to wear. After a while it actually takes on a tinge of spiciness that, oddly enough, reminds me of Snake Oil. D: Which I love.

I'm a little bit of a wallflower (ehehehe) type person myself, and this feels like a "me" scent if there ever was one. I might need a full bottle of this!

 

Edited January 24, 2009 by MisterShrapnel

[tajana]

Mmm, I'm really enjoying dirt in perfume! Wet, it's that great BPAL dirt all right... this version is kind of dry, but with a quality that does remind me of mushrooms! Simultaneously, there's a sweet, creamy quality... kind of coconutty, actually. As it dries down it smells like I was literally digging around in the dirt, it smells richer than it did before, and also greener, like I'm digging up plants, roots and all. Interesting. It smells like a cousin to Goblin (earthy patchouli, and much stronger, toastier coconut) and Penny Dreadful (spicier and prettier). Despite the vanilla-coconut sweetness, it smells really foresty and natural, which is pretty cool.

 

EDIT: I'm totally keeping this imp around. Lightly sweetened dirt? What a perfect scent to use for layering! It's also one of those scents with great lasting power and just the right amount of throw, which really adds a lot of bonus points. Hours after I wrote this review I realized how just great this smelled on its own.

Edited January 28, 2009 by tajana

[Argentwolf]

Ohhhhh, yum! I get a lot of coconut from this, though at the beginning, if I lean down close and sniff my skin, I get the 'dirt' notes -- a musky, loamy sort of smell that is creamy in a way -- like, yes, mushrooms. Incredibly odd, but true. As it dries, the coconut smell takes over for the most part, with just a hint of that creamy 'shroom smell running underneath it. I have to admit that I wondered why people seemed to flip over this, but damn! It's delicious. Definitely on my list of favorites, now!

 

It has a gentle sort of throw, treating me to wafts of creamy coconut all day long. Yay!

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Warm, sweet coconut and moss – very odd

 

Wet on me – Again that sweet, almost coconut smell, overlain by the sharp scent of decay

 

Dry on me – It fades very quickly to leave a soft sweet, slightly spiced, but very dry scent just lingering on my skin

 

Overall – I liked it more than I expected, but it’s just a bit much for me to get my head round

 

[faerywolfe]

In the bottle:

Rich fertile earth, soft dark sweetness, vanilla

 

Wet:

Still a dark sweet earth scent, like eating icecream in the forest at twilight. It's warm and smooth and delicious. I don't smell 'dirt', per se, or anything remotely mushroom-ish and not even the slightest coconut. It's indescribable, really.

 

Dry:

Soft and supremely comforting. It's still gently sweet and slightly earthy, but it's become something more subtle and cuddly and amazing the longer I wear it.

 

Overall:

This is so very very yummy. It has quickly become my main comfort scent, and I often wear it to bed. With a name like death cap and so very many 'dirty' reviews, I was a bit hesitant to try this one, but I am so glad that I did. I highly recommend trying this one at least once!

 

[copagirl]

Back in the 80's I used to go to the London Dungeon, and this smells just like it. Except it has coconut. Dirt and mold and coconut. I do like it, I can imagine some people wouldn't, but I am definitely liking it. Does remind me though of London.

[riflmom]

In the imp - I smelled almost nothing at all -- initial disappointment.

Wet - I didn't really smell but got the sense of dry coconut and very faintly clean earth.

Dry - How nice! On me this is only barely sweet (this is a good thing) - the earth and moss and coconut (husk maybe?) all work together to make a spicy comforting blend. Very relaxing.

 

ETA - The second time I wore this, the coconut was overpowering. Odd...

Edited April 2, 2009 by breadwoman

[WidgetAlley]

Frimp!

 

Imp: Strong, strong, cloying dirt with a side-order of sweet coconut and vanilla... it smells like freshly unearthed coconut rice. Weird but not unpleasant!

 

Wet: WHAM POW COCONUT IS HERE. There's a softer, sweeter note behind it, I swear it's rice, it smells just like the rice milk in Lovers in a Ricefield. Actually this smells a lot like LiaR with no plum and dirt instead of nutmeg. There's only the tiniest hint of dirt left, giving it a bit of punch.

 

Dry: Sweet, smooth, fluffy, with the faintest traces of dirt. It smells like Easter to me, sugary and airy and a little like spring. Me likes! It's probably not big-bottle worthy for me, but I will certainly treasure my Imp.

[anna1850]

This is quite weird in that it is very sweet but does have that earth note. It's quite a realistic earth note and the blend as a whole is quite intriguing. I do smell like I've just done a few hours' gardening. My only worry is that other people wouldn't like it.

 

3.5/5 Interesting if not entirely wearable.