Famine

[Mrs.Black]

It was not surprising that she had recognized him, for his dark grey eyes stared out from his photo on the foil-embossed cover. Foodless Dieting: Slim Yourself Beautiful, the book was called; The Diet Book of the Century!

Sleek black tea, tobacco leaf, frankincense, lilac, and white musk.

I ordered a bottle of Famine with several of the new Good Omens scents. It is a wonderfully elegant black tea scent with a smoky quality from the tobacco and the frankincense. I smell a heavy dose of honey, too, although it's not listed on the notes. My one disappointment is that I can't smell lilac at all. It's not overly masculine, which is what I most feared. The second thing I most feared is that it would smell like cigarettes or cigarette smoke: it doesn't at all. It's reminding me of a very expensive and almost unobtainable perfume by Serge Lutens called Chergui.

Edited to add that if you have been pining for a BPAL black tea scent, and White Rabbit didn't work for you, you need to get Famine. Edited December 31, 2007 by Shollin

[Electra]

This scent is unabashedly masculine (and I don't often agree with the "this is masculine" reviews!) and quite sexy. It's quieter and more refined than Crowley, which I also love. Famine is so well-blended that I can't pick out any specific notes -- just a lovely dark musky scent (which I *think* is a combination of the white musk -- which does not smell aggressively clean here like it often does -- the tea, and the tobacco. It sweetens up a bit after a while, but still isn't a sweet scent overall.

 

This is a scent to wear when you're curled up in a deep leather chair. I like it very, very much.

[kwsix]

This is such an unexpectedly fabulous scent. Personally I would classify it as gender-neutral. It's a little less masculine than Crowley, which I also classify as gender-neutral. I can detect all of the listed notes on my skin, and they add up to an incredibly well-balanced blend. On me, the frankincense takes the lead by a small margin, which gives the blend a warm and resinous edge. The tobacco leaf stays sweet and mellow and the musk is soft and clean. The tea is dark without being bitter, and I love the fresh wisp of lilac at the top end. There is a certain similarity to Crowley, and I agree that Famine is more refined and subtle. Famine is full of beautiful contradictions: sexy but reserved, warm yet chilly, dark and light, sweet but dry. It will definitely be a multiple bottle purchase for me. I suspect my Mom, who is devoted to Crowley, will love it also. If you have the slightest suspicion that you might like Famine, don't hesitate to give it a try.

[maribouquet]

Mrs. Black, you're not the only one - I smell honey, too! Honeyed lilac when wet.

 

Like a dry, cultured, skeletal hand reaching out to grab hold of your wrist. Funny - honey that isn't honey - that's awfully cruel of you, Famine. The lilac fades, at least I think it does? I can't pick out any individual note, though I know frankincense is in there and that always makes me think of bones, so this is just perfect. It's this wonderful sweetness that rides the razor's edge between foody and graveside floral. Like food that turns to dust in your mouth.

 

This is so cool. I'll have to test and be patient and see if I can wear this, but I'm getting such a wonderful, synaesthetic experience from this.

 

 

ETA: Oh nooooooo! Now it smells like (I hate to say this) vomit. Stupid skin!

Edited November 30, 2007 by maribouquet

[alicia_stardust]

FAMINE

 

Wow! From the description I had no idea if I would like this or not, but it is fantastic. It smells gender neutral to me and has a sort of musky, resinous base, a light dry tea and tobacco accent, and a top layer of honeyed lilacs. I have no idea where the sweet honey scent is coming from but I think it is, in part, the tobacco and the way it mingles with some of the other notes. This sticks close to my skin but lasts quite a while. I'm definitely going to keep this one.

[Little Bird]

I was hoping for more black tea and lilac from Famine, but I get a very strong tobacco note and hints of resins. I tend to hate anything with tobacco notes in it, but I actually don't mind it in this blend. This smells almost leathery and masculine to me, like a worn, soft leather pouch with dry, spicy tobacco leaves inside. It's a simple scent on me and I don't like it enough to ever wear it, but I don't mind it either. It's not a smoky, gritty, or dirty tobacco on me, but it is masculine and dry.

 

Famine is something of a single note tobacco scent on me. Masculine, dry, and a bit spicy.

[naeelah]

I had very high hopes for this one, but feared it would be too masculine.

 

Wet, it's stunning. I really can't pick out individual notes. It's airy and clean but not, as another reviewer stated, "aggressively clean". It's fragrant and fresh. I primarily smell the black tea and white musk. The white musk isn't as strong and crystalline as it can be, especially combined with the tea. It's rich but light.

 

After about 15 minutes, on my skin, it morphs HUGELY. Once dry, it basically smells like a cigarette. I think this is the combination of the tobacco and lilac, perhaps with a touch of smokiness from the frankincense. There's a touch of white musk, but the black tea is gone. I love all of the notes in this, but combined, it seems they don't like me. I'll try it in a locket, because the wet scent is fantastic. (ETA: It works very well in a locket. I get the full effect of all the notes with none of the nasty ash tray after effect.)

 

But if it agrees with your skin chemistry, I definitely recommend checking this one out. It suits Famine so wel! It's very gender neutral. I don't like wearing very masculine scents (I have Pollution on the other arm, and it's driving me crazy), but I could definitely wear this. This will appeal to fans of tea notes. Try if if you want a light and clean version of Dorian (something without the cream and sugar).

Edited December 14, 2007 by naeelah

[gwynethr]

Wow, I love this! What a pretty sccent for such a name.

 

I don't really smell lilac either (pity), but the other notes blend beautifully. I don't really view things as masculine or feminine, I guess because I tend to like things everyone calls masculine and I always wonder what that says of me (I love my girly cosmetics). To me this seems like anyone could like, it's almost fruity but not quite, has that lovely spice of the frankincense, and that beautiful tea that smells more like tea than any other tea leaf blend I've tried.

 

Kind of a medium throw, and the wear length is also sort of medium. It definitely softens up after a short while. Beautiful!

[Ravenclaw79]

Wet, it's typically flowery to me, mostly unremarkable.

 

Drying, though, it starts to get interesting. It's a much drier smell now, with a hint of leather. I'm straining to sniff out tea, tobacco or lilac, 'cause I like all three but haven't caught any of those yet.

 

....

 

OK, a bit later (far into a marathon sniff, actually -- so many smells, so little unscented arm space!). I get a bit of cigar smoke, now. But still no tea, and no lilac, unless it evaporated into that initial burst of "generic flower smell" I got when it was wet.

 

This might need a second try, 'cause there's something going on that's a little Severin-y, and I love that one.

[Gwydion]

In the Bottle: Frankincense and lilac with a hint of musk. I was expecting something less femme fatale. Ah well. Wet: whoa1 that turned fast. the tobacco leaf and musk come out to compete with the lighter elements making something vaguely untrustworthy, sweetly seductive, more androgynous. It is still a touch more feminine than I'd like, but it's wearable. I wish there was more tea in it as I like black tea fragrances. Dry: Frankincense, hint of lilac, and powder. This fades super fast on me. Nice idea, but I'm glad I didn't invest in a full bottle.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

sniffed from the decant: honey and tobacco

on skin: frankincense, tobacco, honey (like O or Lush's Honey Waffle soap)

 

somehow this turns into a sweeter Herr Drosselmeyer more than anything else. which is exceptionally odd.

and i have plenty of that, so i won't need a bottle of this. i'll keep the decant, though.

[slave1]

FAMINE

In Bottle: Tea and lilac

On Skin: The tea note is dominant on me at first, but then the lilac comes out in a very elegant stride. It reminds me of His Station and Four Aces. Very masculine and sexy… I was so upset I didn’t get a bottle of HSAFA so now I can order this and get something similar for my husband! Yay! The musk is clean and gives a slightly soapy quality to the scent. The tobacco leaf is also clean but has a deep element to it as well. The frankincense is beautiful and lends a resinous smoky background note. I really like this scent and hope to order a bottle. It is light in throw and has a short wearlength.

[The_Merf]

Oddly enough, this reminds me of a lighter version of Hellfire. Both blends have a tobacco-y base, which sort of surprises me with Famine since it's tobacco leaf and not pipe tobacco. The lilac/musk combination really reminds me of the ambergris/musk combination in Hellfire and there's a bit of resin in both blends. I don't get much tea at all--the lilac/musk combination, with the tiniest bit of resin behind it, is strongest on my skin. As slave1 noted, it is not terribly strong or long-lasting, but it is a very exquisite and pretty blend.

[mazikeen]

The first time I tried it, it was a big "no." But to give it a second try...

 

This is rather nice when newly applied, and I can actually pick out some of the ingredients. I was starting to think that I had dismissed this too soon. It's definitely more feminine than I usually like, though.

 

But, lo! 20 minutes or so later, the lilac reigns supreme. I'm not a fan of lilac, or most florals in general. When I go in closer to sniff my wrists, I do get a whiff of cigarette ashes! (My husband was {keyword: was! } a very heavy smoker for almost 15 years, so it's a scent I remember well, and am not keen to revisit. This doesn't smell like the thick sludge of a full ashtray, though... it smells like clean ashes. If such a thing were possible. It must be that lilac. Sometimes I get a very slight whiff of something soapy, but not a good soapy-- almost stale.

 

I did think that a tobacco scent would be interesting, so I won't rule out all tobaccos based on this. Nonetheless, lilac and ashes. Thank goodness I bought a decant from someone instead of a whole bottle. Definitely not for me. I may try it in an oil burner sometime, though.

 

 

 

 

... Oh wow, as I go back and read my review and see the words I used to describe this... is this the scent of an eating disorder? I picture some overly done-up model who lives on nothing but cigarettes, who smells stale, as if her insides are rotting away, but tries to cover it up with perfume. That captures the spirit of the character Famine pretty well, I'd say! So, in that regard, bravo, BPAL! Even though I won't be wearing it, I can appreciate it.

[edenssixthday]

Famine - When I first apply this, all I smell is bright, wet lilac and something that reminds me of verbena, despite verbena not being listed among the ingredients. However, within the first minute on my skin, the bright herbal and floral scents are completely overwhelmed by the dry huskiness of tobacco and frankincense. What was initially bright and crisp and kind of peppy almost immediately becomes dry and barren and dark and heavy. It's highly masculine to me, and smells kind of like an unlit cigar. It's not really my speed, but it's fascinating nonetheless. The throw and staying power are both above average.

[stephencaffine]

I didn't know what to expect when I bought this, as I had just started Good Omens and hadn't met Famine yet. I do love black tea and lilac.

 

When I first tried this, I thought it was wonderful and manly, but wasn't hugely impressed.

 

Now after wearing it several times, I LOVE it.

 

The tea and tobacco give it a smokey and dark-sexy note. The lilac and white musk make it sophisticated manly. And the frankincense puts things at a distance. Just as famine is in the book.

 

He seems elegant, well turned out, but calculating and proud.

 

This scent it quite dark and intimate. When I wear it I want to sniff myself all the time, and wear a tweed suit. Quite British

[Lavada]

-snip-

 

ETA: Oh nooooooo! Now it smells like (I hate to say this) vomit. Stupid skin!

 

-snip-

 

 

-snip-

 

...is this the scent of an eating disorder?

 

-snip-

 

SIGH. I wish I didn't have to say this, but I can relate to these two scentiments (was a genuine typo, but doesn't it fit so well?) perfectly.

 

Although it was a relatively fast morph, Famine still tricked me at the very beginning and early wet phases. From the imp, my reaction was "Why, hello there Bvlgari Black. " Clean tea but with a sexy smokiness definitely wafting around. Wet, it was Dorian without the indulgent calories; dry, sleek, and still very clean even if the throw was very smoky. Clean smoke? Who'dathunkit? It fits Sable's visage perfectly...

 

...and later on, it captures his very nature oh so disturbingly well. From afar, it's still that clean musky smoky tea but then I come closer... and instantly recoil. Yeah. Vomit. I stare at my arm in horrified awe and chuckle bitterly. Oh yeah, this is how Famine works these days. I have no idea what happened, but am awfully disappointed.

 

Bloody He- Hea-... Manchester. The throw is picking up this disturbing characteristic even as I type. And what a throw!

Edited March 14, 2008 by Lavada

[Josh]

-snip-

 

ETA: Oh nooooooo! Now it smells like (I hate to say this) vomit. Stupid skin!

 

-snip-

 

 

-snip-

 

...is this the scent of an eating disorder?

 

-snip-

 

SIGH. I wish I didn't have to say this, but I can relate to these two scentiments (was a genuine typo, but doesn't it fit so well?) perfectly.

 

So right! This smells identical to really sour vomit. This is stunning how accurate it is. Of course, not something I'd ever wear - but this is really a bpal achievement and the name/description make total sense now. That's really amazing actually.

 

Edit: After about twenty minutes this smells almost identical to one of my alltime bpal faves (The Castle) but with something really sour (ie the vomit). It's a very interesting scent.. sharp. For some reason this strikes me as something someone really sophisticated would wear. And someone BONE THIN.

Edited March 19, 2008 by Josh

[voodoocatwoman]

In the imp: Sharply sweet

 

Wet: Musk and frankencense

 

Dry: This is one of the prettiest fragrances of all time. It is a bit on the heavy side, so I would only see myself wearing it if I had a cozy sweater on... it is sweet tea and musk.

[ClareN]

I love everything in this scent and was so sure it would be a holy grail that I almost got a bottle unsniffed, but I'm very glad I didn't.

 

The lilac and white musk combination in Whitechapel is a favorite of mine, so I thought this would be a darker cousin to Whitechapel with tea/tobacco/incense instead of citrus. All of these notes work on my chemistry, and I still love the idea of that scent and I almost want to beg the Lab for a reformulation.

 

So I don't know quite what went wrong here, but Famine smells absolutely foul on me. It smells almost good when I sniff it in the imp but immediately turns horrible when I put it on my skin - this weird metallic/deodorant/vomit scent that I cannot tolerate. I see that a couple other reviews have mentioned vomit, so at least I'm not crazy.

 

To make matters worse, it also smells like a wrong, corrupted version of my all-time favorite BPAL, Bakeneko. I suspect it's because both have black tea and amber, although amber isn't a listed note for Famine.

 

I will also add that I have two decants of Famine from different sources, and have tried each decant two or three times since I so wanted to like it, and it was still FAIL every time. So sad.

[zankoku_zen]

Ah, I am not a fan of the tobacco. This reminds me to Whitechapel - but less limey, and more smoky. Definitely more smokey.

 

And there is something that smells almost like... plastic to me.

 

*sigh*. I was so hoping for black tea. Smoky black tea? Yes. This? Not so much.

[Coldfire]

This is a partial imp from my newbie pack from Mary.

 

Imp:Floral. The lilac and White Musk blend well

Wet on Me:Still lilac-y floral with a hint of the

tobacco leaf peeking thru.

Drying Down:Weirdness. Something unsweet and

sour trying to take over the floral

Dry: Sour. There are flowers trying to cover

the sour. like Spoiled food, but then the lilac over

takes it.

Overall:I'm glad I got to test it, but not at all

one of my favorites.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Lilac and musk with a strong resinous undertone.

 

Immediately on skin: This is a very syrupy blend on me. It smells like sweet, resinous incense and a hint of very heavy floral and musk perfume. The lilac, white musk and frankincense are very obvious.

 

After a few minutes: The lilac has settled down a bit. This is a heavy, incense type scent on me. It’s thick, sweet, smoky frankincense with some spicy and perfume-y notes underneath. There’s a hint of the tobacco leaf, and it mixes nicely with the frankincense. It smells very unisex and musky. It’s a very “full” scent for it’s name.

 

Overall Impressions: I expected this to be more of a refreshing and “empty” scent, but it is actually very rich. The frankincense is the strongest note, and the others just sort of back it up. The lilac and musk add a nice unisex touch, and the tobacco leaf adds a dry sweetness to the blend. I can’t find the tea at all, which is disappointing since I love the lab’s tea scents. I would call this blend unisex for sure, and if you enjoy frankincense scents, you might want to give this a try.

[eyeska]

Wet, this is a beautiful, slightly sweet tea with spice. Extraordinary, and I desperately wish it was as nice on me dry as it is wet.

 

Unfortunately, my newest skin chemistry discovery involves me and frankincense smelling something like a hospital together, and once dry a sour/metallic/medicinal scent comes out from Famine. While somewhat appropriate, it's not pleasant in the least.

 

Yet another "if you like frankincense" review here.

[savage_rose]

This smells like cheap baby lotion on me--not the good kind that actually smells like baby powder or lavender, but the kind that just smells like sickly sweet florals. Not good on me.