A Howl In The Darkness

[hackess]

A HOWL IN THE DARKNESS
At last there came a time when the driver went further afield than he had yet gone, and during his absence, the horses began to tremble worse than ever and to snort and scream with fright. I could not see any cause for it, for the howling of the wolves had ceased altogether. But just then the moon, sailing through the black clouds, appeared behind the jagged crest of a beetling, pine-clad rock, and by its light I saw around us a ring of wolves, with white teeth and lolling red tongues, with long, sinewy limbs and shaggy hair. They were a hundred times more terrible in the grim silence which held them than even when they howled. For myself, I felt a sort of paralysis of fear. It is only when a man feels himself face to face with such horrors that he can understand their true import.

All at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had had some peculiar effect on them. The horses jumped about and reared, and looked helplessly round with eyes that rolled in a way painful to see. But the living ring of terror encompassed them on every side, and they had perforce to remain within it. I called to the coachman to come, for it seemed to me that our only chance was to try to break out through the ring and to aid his approach, I shouted and beat the side of the caleche, hoping by the noise to scare the wolves from the side, so as to give him a chance of reaching the trap. How he came there, I know not, but I heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound, saw him stand in the roadway. As he swept his long arms, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still. Just then a heavy cloud passed across the face of the moon, so that we were again in darkness.

When I could see again the driver was climbing into the caleche, and the wolves disappeared. This was all so strange and uncanny that a dreadful fear came upon me, and I was afraid to speak or move. The time seemed interminable as we swept on our way, now in almost complete darkness, for the rolling clouds obscured the moon.
—Dracula, Bram Stoker

A scent evocative of a forest at midnight, with animalic brown musk, wild sage, Terebinth pine, black oak, and a chilly shock of terror personified by kunzea, cistus labdanum, verbena, juniper, metallic ozone, and white mint.

Cursory review: a cool, crisp scent, evocative of chilly night air, over some of the sexiest primal musks I've ever smelled from BPAL. I didn't get any pine/wood notes once it hit my skin, and little to no ozone, which I usually amp into headache-inducing volumes. If only Wolf Moon or Lycaon had smelled like this! I need to sneak it onto my husband to see how he wears it.

[spiresinthesnow]

Sweet furry musk, nice and not too strong. The musk in this reminds me of Ivanushka or Hunter Moon. I get mint and pine shortly after but its not "shocking" more of like a creeping light mint/pine mist, and the scent becomes a tiny bit more tangy, must be the ozone. It pretty much stays sweet furry musk and mint pine mist all the way through for me. A delicate but visible scent.

[la belle dame sans merci]

Alone and yet you know you are not. A howl.

 

In the decant, the pine is the most distinct with mint and musk undertones. (It's a very pleasant, understated pine btw.)

 

On me, the best I can describe it as a wisp. Subtle. There and then not. What was that? Things you cannot see. Certainly "evocative of a forest". And midnight -- things you cannot see clearly. A howl that is there and then gone, your ears listening out for it again. Definitely forest smells -- the wind through the trees, my feet crushing pine straw. A hint of musk. A hint of mint -- a cool breeze. Just enough grounding to make your senses take a flight of fancy.

 

Intriguing scent. Subtle. One for kiss-my-neck closeness. Mmmmm.

 

 

ETA: I wanted to share an serendipitous scent experience. I was testing Djinn and as that scent dissipated in the late afternoon, I layered on A Howl in the Darkness (different place on the same arm). After a while, I realized the combination was making me think of being in the dark woods with a forest fire burning nearby. I really liked it. It was a fascinating fusion.

Edited September 27, 2010 by la belle dame sans merci

[Poenari]

This is a very "green" scent, much more than I expected. Light citrus, mint, and pine- all just wisps over the musk. In many ways it reminds me of the forum-only F5 from a few years ago. Not at all a frightening howl, but a decant is plenty for me.

[Aldercy]

I admit I've kind of forgotten the notes for this one, and I'm going to try to sniff and review without referring back to them first.... A Howl in the Darkness is kind of a dark, murky aquatic with woody, twisted spice and a slightly citrusy musk. It's a really temperate scent, with cool notes and warm notes very well-blended together into something very balmy and dusky. It's slightly sweet, very natural woodland kind of smell. If this scent is a werewolf scent, it's a gentle, fuzzy werewolf.

 

Now, looking at the notes: yep, that all sounds about right. I can definitely pick out sage. I quite like this one and will definitely hang on to the decant.

[cfrancesca]

This is a fresh and musky scent. On my skin the pine, musk and verbena stand out the most. The mint and ozone blend nicely in the background and gives it a freshness and slight sweetness. I like this one!

[whisperstilled]

In bottle: Verbena, pine, juniper, and a claw swipe of ozone. This is a clean forest scent with the herbs to back it up. It makes me think of the misty forest in The Wolfman. Not much on the musk end, which is a bit of a disappointment, so let's see how it does on the skin.

Wet: Pine, herbs, and a touch of musk. This is a quintessential October forest night, with fog winding around the trees and a young woman fleeing from a beast. It's appropriately cold, a scent of icy terror.

Dry: Evocative of the concept and still strangely clean, this wanders a little close to soapy but swings back because of the verbena and the herbs. The ozone dies down a lot on the skin, which here is to the scent's benefit. I can't quite decide whether or not I like this one just yet.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Whisperstilled

[SophieCedar]

The Gothic Lit set has me blown away. Each has been very complex and so well blended.

Wet: Mint sage and brown musk with ozone. Feels exactly like a cool night with whipping wind. The brown musk isn't exactly petting zoo.. Reminds me of staying at an off season cabin in the White Mountains early November after the 1st light snow.

[angelicruin]

Pine, juniper, and mint stand out on my skin. There is definitely a "furry" quality to this scent. Just a touch of sweetness on my skin and fresh.

[bloody sore]

I'm rather meh on this one. It's very very similar to wolf moon 07 and hunger moon to me, and I couldn't even justify keeping both of those. I'll try again before I ditch it, but meh.

[impolight]

:::A HOWL IN THE DARKNESS:::

 

 

Hooray for Halloweenies!

An Oil by BPAL based on a lesser-know work of Bram Stokers? Extraordinary!

A Howl in the Darkness is a creepyliscious tale that deserves the attention!

From the Bottle: Wow! This is SO much lighter and more refreshing than anticipated, at this stage. There are a goodly deal of assertive notes listed in the Lab's description, yet, in this particular bottle, what comes through the most is the Musk, the Sage, the Ozone, and the Mint.

Instead of something close to "Wolfsbane" ( a wildly wicked and terrifying fragrance of the Lab's all too appropriate for the Holiday ) this is actually very peaceful; luscious, luminous, and light green. This is like a creekside, outdoor picnic in the late Spring. The party is freshly scrubbed and pink with life; laughing aloud and squinting in the dazzle. A deep, deep breath from the freshly uncapped bottle will also reveal the almost lemon-pithy smell of the Verbena. This is nice and aqueous... A freshly shampooed Lycanthrope who has recently, inexplicably... Shaved?

Applied to the Pulse: Oh, my shucksykins, this is HEAVENLY! When the Oak, Juniper, and Pine slip in to compliment the other notes, this REALLY gets airborne! This is what flying, low and fast, over a forest on a cloudy, moonlit night MUST be like! The crepuscular aspect really comes through! This is definitely the stuff of stalking you, unseen, in remote darkness. The greenery is fantastic! Arboreal, yes, but also a blood-thirsty Emerald or Aquamarine...

One can practically feel their canines retract...

Ordinarily, the Vampire is depicted as some remote, aristocratic figure; seductive and elan despite their sanguinary proclivities. This is the Lycanthropic equivalent. This is crashing through the haunted woods and happening, unexpectedly, upon a Keep of sorts. A Baron has invited you in to dine and sup and watches you with glittering eyes and a sardonic grin as you realize that none of the meat has has been cooked. You sort of wonder if it's appropriate to leap about and bleat, but that doesn't make sense in wet pants.

Anyway, this is a HUGE bar of dark-green, high-end men's soap that He would use. Great for scrubbing away respectable amounts of gore and stringy bits.

 

Saul awoke and tip-toed to the water-closet with the efficiency of a retarded horse creeping through a cathedral during mass. Fifteen years had yet to bless him with anything resembling gracefulness.

He dreaded the thought of rousting grandma from her slumber. A fine mood she was in... She insisted on reading him the gospels by firelight before bed. More often than not, when asked to interpret the scripture, his fanciful and imaginitive responses fetched him a clout on the ear with a wooden spoon.

Anyway, he didn't trust that strange Father Stanislav, either. A few weeks ago he had pulled alongside Saul in his garish, American quadricycle and offered him a ride. "Look, there are dry cloths!" said he, fanning out his bejeweled fingers and gesturing slowly, like a stage-magician, to the seat beside him.

When Saul cheerily replied that he would rather slog the last three miles to his door, thank you very much, Stanislav looked agog. Saul whistled.

Hearing a noise downstairs, Saul went to the landing and looked down to see a Werewolf sitting in the rocking chair, casually holding grandma's head in one hand and eating it like an apple. Saul made a girlish squeaking noise and the next thing he knew, the Werewolf was standing in the rafters, the beams creaking worryingly beneath it's weight.

Saul made a strangled sort of cawing noise and half-ran, half-slid down the hall, where he dove prettily through a small plate-glass window. Saul turned and favored the Werewolf with a salute of digitus impudicus before scrambling to the peaked roof-top. 'He'll never fit through there!' thought Saul triumphantly, laughing clouds of fog into the night air.

That was precisely when the the Werewolf came up through the roof-top as though fired from a cannon, spraying Saul with splinters and shingles.

The thing landed on the roof causing it to reverbate like a gong. It took a stomp toward him and roared with an intensity that resonated in his ribcage and shook something loose in his digestive tract that he would rather not dwell on... The indignity!

Saul was surprised that ( aside from having a Werewolf snarling at him ) it smelled so... Nice.

Saul expected it to have the musky, gamy characteristic of a predator; for it to smell like carnage, territorial pissing, and, well, to be candid, a little like... Grandma.

The monster actually smelled quite... Fresh. Saul could detect sage-brush, black oak, pine, and the queer bush that prevented rust from growing on the fence where it grew in proximity. Hell, even its bristling fur smelled like an impending thunderstorm.

Saul leapt from the roof-top and crashed unceremoniously to the lawn. Thoroughly soiled and concussed, he waited for and end that promised discomfort and despair. The Werewolf landed atop Saul like a 300 pound raptor, its talons perforating what Saul believed to be either his lungs or his self-worth. Saul felt the creatures hot breath at his nape and felt a warm splat of lupine drool hit his cheek.

A rifle report seemed to pop the whole world, and the Werewolf was lifted bodily before it toppled, akimbo, into the hedge.

Saul raised his head gingerly and beheld Father Stanislav hanging out the window of his bloody quadricycle, leering unpleasantly and holding his rifle aloft.

"Silver Bullets," he mused "reliable for dispatching a wide variety of flea-bitten Hell-Hounds!"

In the distance the bells of the cathedral rang a dozen times. Father Stanislav winked at Saul and said, "Midnight-hour, the clock so struck, well la-di-da and fuck my luck!"*

Saul giggled foolishly and wet himself afresh before again losing consciousness.

 

A Howl in the Darkness is a remarkable fragrance for Him.

Delightfully spooky, it is perfectly suited for His every Halloween hooliganism.

A worthy investment that deserves a spot of permanence in some Lab category... An "Every day is Halloween" category, perhaps?

 

*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

 

Buy some quick!

5 out of 5!

 

 

-* Thank you, Kurt Vonnegut! Miss you!

Edited September 23, 2010 by impolight

[sqwook]

Not nearly as dark - and much better - than I expected! The pine & verbena is great here, and the light musk, though it's fairly gender-neutral. So worth trying for us ladies but also FANTASTIC on a guy. None of the notes is too overwhelming, really excellent blend.

 

Reminds me of: Golden Priapus without the obvious vanilla. A more sweet-green, less spice Fascinum. Brighter than Antony (which is really way more powdery than I remembered). Brighter and more "green"(from the sage/pine/juniper/verbena) than Phoenix Steamworks.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Oh, lovely! Musky herb and then suddenly ozone and mint!

 

Wet: This has a lot of the cold snowy vibe about it, and some of the metallic impression of Metal Phoenix and Tin Phoenix.

 

Half an hour: This is nice. There's enough deep warm base here to balance the high notes of evergreen, citrus, ozone, and mint that often don't work on me because they're too sharp. I like it.

 

One hour: This is the nicest citrus/ozone/metal/mint combination I've tried. It's nicely balanced by all the darker and more herbal things.

 

Four hours: Still very nicely behaved on me, although more ozone metal than mint or citrus now.

[edenssixthday]

A Howl In The Darkness - On me, most of the notes don't come through -- it's predominantly an ozone and verbena scent with a hint of pine in the background. Very fresh, crisp, pretty, and totally gender-neutral.

[Little Bird]

This is a sweet, creamy, cool mix of lemon and mint that reminds me of Possets' Fireflies scent (especially when first applied). It's like Fireflies + the sweet, snowy ozone in bpal's Cloister Graveyard in the Snow. I'm happy that the ozone isn't amping up and turning to pure soap like it usually does on my skin.

 

ETA: With age, this has turned into tons of sour pine and what smells like lemonade on me. The mint and ozone gives it a clean chill, but it's mostly pine and verbena on me, which conjures up images of pine-sol... in a scent locket, it smells like chilled lemonade and a hint of pine, but on skin it's very pine-y and sharp.

Edited March 5, 2012 by Little Bird

[Akurarei]

A Howl in the Darkness

 

In the Bottle:

Minty with something underneath; not dissernable to my poor nose.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

A blast of musk, then a blast of vanilla, then both settle down onto a sweet & cool mint base

 

On my Skin, Dry:

this is like a musky version of Tokyo Stomp.

 

I like this a lot!

very interesting, though it doesn't remind me of being in the woods, sadly.

great scent for the fall & cooler weather.

 

8 of 10 Ranking

Edited February 10, 2011 by Akurarei

[ami226]

On the skin: A musky pine with a hint of green I think might be verbena. Not getting any mint yet. Definitely a green scent. It seems to get light/soft pretty quickly. Quite pleasant.

[Schmoozy]

Love. It has been a long time since an airy, minty, piney scent has captured my attention but A Howl In The Darkness has is all that and more. It's woody and lemony, spicy and furry, cold yet ridiculously comforting. The musk wraps me in warmth, yet the airy mint makes me feel like I can see my breathe in the dark.

[milo]

Black and Brown musk smell pretty good on me, and I get a glorious musk here, but it is getting overpowered by the evergreen. This ends up being too masculine on me, but the musk really is beautiful under the greenery.

[Sabir]

I have to admit, this was the scent I was most excited for from the 2010 Weenies. I've been looking for wolfish type scents and this one doesn't disappoint.

 

Wet I get a lot of mint and citrus, but it quiets down as it dries and the pine/juniper comes out. The most powerful element on me seems to be the musk however. It's a very furry, animalistic kind of musk too, but soft and warm. I think if I could tone it down just a little so it didn't overpower the other notes, this scent would be perfect. A Howl in the Darkness is this funny combination of warm musk and a cool forest at night, yet it's surprisingly light with a green feel to it. It's complex to say the least.

 

If Wolf Moon 04 is a forest in December, this scent is wolves running through that same forest in October.

[riddel]

A Howl in the Darkness

 

I'm a sucker for forest scents and "green" scents. The Black Forest, Belladonna... you know the drill. I was hoping this would be darker, like Black Forest without the heavy, powder-y drydown. But it's light. Really light. A light, slightly lemon-y musk with a touch of mint and greenery. There's a stage in the beginning that smells like Zest soap (the ozone, perhaps?). I'm not a fan of that stage. But I am intrigued by the scent as a whole, even if it's not what I was expecting. I'll play around with this one a bit more, I think.

Edited October 27, 2010 by riddel

[animalcule]

This started out lovely on me which was no surprise as I adore a lot of the notes: musk, sage, pine, mint, citrus, verbena- yes please!! I am also a huge fan of forest scents.

 

However in the end it's a lot of oak (bleh) and juniper, and juniper makes me nauseous. This wasn't an exception.

[zankoku_zen]

Green, musky, hint of pine. It's more fresh and cologne than I expected, with a great deal of citrus.

[Suu4LC]

Oh, this is lovely in the imp. Not something I would have jumped for based on the notes, but smells great in the imp-a clean, blast of minty/citrussy pine.

 

Yes, a very nice winter scent to me-musky, maybe a touch cologney citrussy/pine scent. Very unisex. Sort of a fresh citrussy cologne with an undertone of woods? A touch of minty sweetness. Honestly, this is such a gorgeous blend!

 

The only bummer is I found it faded a bit quickly into sort of a sweet powder, but overall, I can totally see myself grabbing a bottle of this. Not something I would normally be into-I thought this would be really dark and woody, but it's more of a clean fresh, musky citrus/mint/wood cologne. If I could get my bf to wear bpal I bet this would smell amazing on him.

[Ceisdein]

In Bottle: Pine-Sol and lemon. So, it's a bit Freshly Cleaned Bathroom. Very sharp and stinging, almost chemical. It's not exactly calling "smear me on your wrists" but hey.

 

Wet: The chemical spike dies the second it touches my skin, leaving a sweet pine and mint. There's still a drop of citrus but only a drop. Light and bright and a little bit fuzzy. Ah! I know! Vanilla-mint toothpaste. That's what this reminds me of. Good stuff so far!

 

Dry: The mint and pine have toned down, though they're still there. A neutral musk has picked up a bit and turned it creamy, plus the whole thing is still pretty sweet. The longer it's on the more woody it smells but it never fully loses that light, bright tone. Teeny-tiny throw.

 

Overall: It's just kind of there. That sounds bad, but it's not. If a girl just normally smelled good, that lucky combination of natural chemistry and random environmental things, she might smell like this. A good, general, everyday winter scent.