Indie line Smell Bent has launched a limited edition collection for holiday 2009:
Père Noël Coward ~ "a portrait of the dandy in winter", with sweet immortelle, atlas cedar, balsam fir and pinõn sap.
Elf-Fulfilling Prophecies ~ "a little velvet pocket full of cinnamon sugar cookies, naughty pipe tobacco and toy shop sawdust."
Hippie Holidaze ~ "a late night combo of tangerines, maple syrup and aged patchouli."
Gelty Pleasures ~ "8 nights of utter indulgence", with spiced amber and rich milk chocolate.
2010 ~ "new spaceship smell, pressurized cabin, jet fuel, and a blast of intergalactic plants and blossoms."
The Smell Bent Holiday 2009 collection can be found at Beautycafe or the Smell Bent website.
TGIF! I am not familiar with this line, but they look like something that’s in tune with the local head shop. I’ll pass.
Plenty more out there…
Smell Bent’s Gelty Pleasures has a name and listing of notes that is remarkably (too remarkably) similar to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s Gelt, which was released in 2008. (http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=50518&hl=gelt) Gelt’s description is “A bounty of chocolate coins! Dry cocoa and golden amber!”
The creator of Smell Bent knows BPAL well and has previously compares his works to theirs, often to the point of saying that the has duped BPAL fragrances.
The obvious fragrance plagiarizing here is enough for me to never be interested in Smell Bent again and to advise you all to be wary of a company that makes money off of other peoples’ creativity.
If fragrance “plagiarizing” was a crime, then half of the scents on the market would be in jail. 🙂
Thanks Big Pharma. So many, many fragrances out there, even some classics, are “riffs” or variations of other fragrances..I’d be hard pressed to name all the variations on Shalimar (with similar exotic-sounding names) from brands other than Guerlain, just to name one instance. The same kind of “borrowing” takes place in many fields (literature, music, art, etc), and is not to my mind always as simple as “plagiarizing”…but of course I don’t know the history here so can’t comment on that. I will say that there have been chocolate + amber combinations in perfume long before BPAL released theirs in 2008 (BBW did one in 2007, just to name one, and many of them were probably inspired by Thierry Mugler Angel to one degree or another), and there will probably be more in the future.
All of that is true, but the names “Gelty Pleasures” and “Gelt” are very similar, and there are only two notes listed in both perfumes — amber and chocolate. In the B&BW Chocolate Amber, at least other floral and musk notes were listed.
The fact that the scent, the scent description, and the name of the perfume itself, PLUS the fact that Brent, the creator of Smell Bent, has been a member of the BPAL community and has duped BPAL’s Jingo Kogo in the past all tells me that this guy is not someone I want to buy from.
You can make your own choices, but too many “coincidences” add up to bad business practices. Shrugging this off as “well everyone does it” just gives it an excuse to continue, even to the point where the plagiarism is blatant.
You misunderstood me…was not saying “everyone does it” as in plagiarizes, was saying that if one fragrance inspires another, I don’t necessarily see that as plagiarism. In other words, you can be inspired by, say, a combination of notes, and go off and do your own thing with it, and that, to me, is not plagiarism. It’s how art works. But as I said, you know history here that I don’t, so I’m not making any judgments either way.
Sure, maybe it’s not “plagiarism” proper, but it’s certainly not just “borrowing” or “being inspired by _____”. It’s not criminal, but it’s unethical. And it’s enough for me to want to post a warning to potential consumers. That’s my point.
The thing that really grates the nerves for BPAL fans is that Brent absolutely knows about the Gelt scent from last year. Sure, inspiration happens, but it says a lot about his originality and creativity. Wouldn’t you want to come up with a Gelt-inspired scent that is distinguishable from other Gelt-inspired scents? When you use Persephone for inspiration, of course you’ll have pomegranate in it but I have smelled several Persephone-themed scents that are totally different from one another (BPAL’s Persephone is a lot different than Arcana’s Persephone’s Flowers scent, for instance.)
For someone who claims to have Beth’s blessing and be a BPAL fan, it’s sort of insulting for him to skate so close to the line. Brent is known for talking with Beth about perfume making as well as showing up at the trunk shows that BPAL holds every so often, purchasing prototypes and other rare scents and then re-selling them for a gigantic hike.
Hi maraislanuit, Again, I can’t comment as I don’t have all the history and background, nor have I smelled either of the scents in question.
LOL Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I forgot about that company.
I really think this is a cute line, and may need to get Elf-Fulfilling Prophecies as a stocking stuffer for a few friends.
Have seen some positive reports, some negative…they really do come up with great names though! Elf Fulfilling Prophecies is perfect.
The puns make my not-so-inner-nerd snort uncontrollably. I’m dying to try their stuff.
Has anyone who has actually tried any of this line liked them? I got a bunch of samples when they first launched and was really disappointed – didn’t like any of them, which is a shame as I find the ad copy and drawings really charming and I really wanted to like them. Would love to hear feedback from anyone else who has actually sniffed them…
Someone posted something positive on one of the articles I posted, but I think you’re not the only one who has posted something negative. I know Kevin liked a few of them, but he also said at least one of them stained his clothing.
I don’t think any vendor who uses fragrance oils (cheap stuff meant for candles and soaps) has any chance of making something decent (just my own opinion, I know others would disagree).
IMO, companies like Smell Bent, Black Phoenix, etc, are nowhere near the league of true perfume houses like Serge Lutens, Parfumerie Generale, L’artisan Parfumeur, Kilian, etc.
plume, I must say there are some good ones out there (Monyette Paris, Kai, C. O. Bigelow, The Body Shop, Pink Manhattan and Persephone by Sali Oguri come to mind), but do agree that it is really important to sample first. I’ve found BPALs quite polarizing, either falling head over heels with them or needing to make the fifty yard dash to the lav in a fit of desperate scrubber panic. 😉
I think having a huge catalog of frag oils makes the odds of every one being likeable small just as a matter of course, but it does seem that some of the independent lines who’ve only put out a handful have more success. I knew I was hooked for life the moment I smelled Monyette Paris, but bought some BPAL imps (samples) I truly couldn’t wait to be rid of. 😉 So while the ingredients aren’t often quite as costly, having a bit of skill when blending them can go a long way toward making a fantastic fragrance such as some of the Sage, Yosh Han or Susanne Langs.
Yeah.. I saw someone mention Black Phoenix had nearly 2000 fragrances when you combine their normal ones with their “Limited Release” ones. 2,000 !!!! They must create a new fragrance every day, which leads me to believe the gimmick here is more in “collecting” rare and hard to find bottles as opposed to enjoying quality perfumes. I know that sounds like an overgeneralization, but 2,000 perfumes is incredibly alarming to me.
Also, I’m not saying all perfume oils are bad. The stuff that Mandy Aftel or Christopher Brosius does, for example, are incredible! I’m only focusing on those who use fragrance oils and add drops of essential oils to them to sell as perfumes. Those never work for me.
I feel the same as you, vickyjane. Got a sample set, and was disappointed. A few of them were downright awful, and others disappeared within a few minutes on the skin, except for a lingering dirt smell that was common to all of them.
I went and ordered Jakie O Lantern and Violet Tendancies from the Halloween line as well as some samples of their usual stuff.
Have not received as yet. But will let you know when I do.
If I like them I will go for a FB of any of the usual line that I like, also I am curious about the new limiteds Père Noël Coward (has any other brand done Pine in a perfume before that I may use as a point of referance?) and 2010 (I am wondering how on earth that would smell?).
Those are the same two I ordered from the Halloween LE! I really like both of them but Violet Tendencies doesn’t last as long as I’d like and goes a little muddy on me. But the combination (violet + leather) has sent me in the direction of Jolie Madame.
Yea they sounded the loveliest to me, Lucy Fur seemed nice too but did not quite draw me to buy it.
Sometimes a certain attractive combination draws you to look for “bigger and better” or more variety of the similar.
I am looking forward to smelling the Pumpkin for thanksgiving (which I am going to the US for this year 🙂
Have a great time! It’s always fun to experience a holiday in another country.
I’m really enjoying Incensed and actually got an unsolicited compliment on it. It’s vanillic woods with a smidge of incense on me; it has very good projection for a fragrance oil and decent longevity. I also liked Horney Little Devil, but there was a bit too much cinnamon for my tastes. That’s not to say all worked on me–Little Miss Panda went really wrong–but I do think the line is worth a try for those who are open to fragrance oils.
I have Mama Cassis (purchased before the Gelt fiasco) and I really enjoy it. Through a former customer, I purchased a bottle of Sunshine, which is lovely on me as well. I would probably purchase again if not for Brent’s shadiness.
I was really, really intrigued by the Smell Bent Halloween line since it’s one of my favorite holidays and the scents indeed looked like a lot of fun. While they weren’t expensive as far as individual cost, the group of four LEs in total would have equaled $80 (or the cost of one or two bottles of perfume I *knew* I liked) and they didn’t offer samples. Since I’m trying hard to shy away from buying unsniffed especially in the case of perfume oils (they seem to be very much hit or miss with me) I regretably passed on that particular collection when I learned I couldn’t try them first. While that isn’t an unusual practice (BPAL doesn’t offer samples of their LE scents which aggrivates me to no end as well), I do wish samples were more readily available for Smell Bent’s LE lines so one could decide whether they wanted to invest based on actually trying them first. Ah well. It’s not like there isn’t an abundance of other LE scents in the sea, most of which are all too easy to sample. 🙂
I don’t like buying unsniffed either. Maybe Beautycafe is doing samples, but I didn’t check.
I have a few of the Smell Bent scents and I think they are utterly charming and beautiful. Are they going to rival Mitsouko, no. Are they trying to, no. Spiced Rose or rose/patchouli scents are being released by the hundreds and before that, it was citrus/moss. The word plagiarism shouldn’t be thrown around so casually. It borders on libel here.
My last comment looks bitchier than I meant. I just mean, come on, these oils mean no harm and I don’t think they threaten the fabric of perfume artistry.
That’s ok, I knew what you meant. It all depends on your perspective, I guess. I don’t see anything unethical about it either, but obviously some people do. And I do know BPAL fans are VERY loyal.
Beyond that, I think there’s a place for all different kinds of perfumery too.
I ordered some samples of their regular line, and realized when I tried my first (Incensed) that I don’t like perfume oils in general. The smell was decently smoky and incense-like, but not much more than that. But the feeling of oil on skin is not something I like. I’ll probably end up giving away my other samples.
I am not a fan of oils either. I understand he’s going to come out with EdPs soon though.
For what it’s worth, when I heard that the Gelt scent (huh huh) was amber and milk chocolate, I thought “Yawn! Could they possibly get more literal? Amber for gold, milk chocolate for the chocolate inside.. whatevs…” So it may be possible that they are basing the work on a BPAL scent, but I think the associations are straightforward enough that they may have arrived at the combination independently.
Personally, I’m holding out for the Gelt that smells like burning candles, jelly doughnuts, fried potatoes (with onions) and a new pair of socks!
And I didn’t mean for that to sound as negative as it does. Gelt doesn’t appeal to me, but Pere Noel Coward, 2010 and Blimey Limey all sound intriguing. I second the wish that they would make samples more accessible. Maybe they could do a giveaway through NST so we could get some more opinions floating in the ether (or they could sell tiny vials like the BPAL imps). Just a thought.
I generally don’t spend more than $5 on something unsniffed. I bought Yosh Han’s Studio 54 oil unsniffed because it raised money for a good cause and I generally like her work, but as intrigued as I am, I’m not ready to take an unsniffed plunge on Smell Bent just yet.
I think they do sell samples, just not of the limited editions? Or they used to, anyway. Actually, I think that’s what BPAL does too…only samples of the regular line?
Generally you can only order “imps” from the catalogue, but they do make LE samples available at in-store and “will call” events. As mentioned, they do have a rabid fan base and a huge swapping community so you can smell LEs before shelling out the fifteen or twenty bucks. Many of them smell alike, but nice for what they are (especially if you want something in a spicy vanilla-musk). Several of the series proceeds go to charities that benefit independent comic artists and sellers, and they launch many fragrances at Comic-Con and Dragon-Con. They sucked me in with the Neil Gaiman stuff. They are mostly collectible for the artwork on the labels. What a geek I sound like! I am actually very serious about the study and acquisition of “real” perfumes, as my banker will attest.
Thanks Julia!
Thanks Julia for the lovely dose of geeketry! Now I better understand why BPAL has such a loyal following – it sounds like a wonderful world of culture surrounding those scents.
As for Imps and samples – the Smell Bent samples are a reasonable $3.75 each, but there is an additional $3 shipping cost bringing a tiny vial to nearly $7.00. Thats a little steep. St. Johns Bay Rum offers 8 samples with shipping from the Caribbean for $5 which is a phenomenal deal, and it established my love for their West Indian Lime.
You’re welcome :blush: A friend warned me to stay off the ink after introducing me to to the world of “sequential panel art” as Will Eisner tried to get everyone to call it. It is very spendy. I, however, offered no such disclaimer when I introduced her the world of the perfumes. I guess I’m a perfume geek now. I’m not sure which level of perfumista I am, but I vacillate between three and five on any given day depending on the subject. I love research and perfumes offer plenty of opportunities. I acquired three vintage Guerlains recently and my wine friends (oenologists) have compared my nose development, wrist to wrist comparisons, and obsessive note taking to their lofty hobby. Lucky me though, a beautiful bottle of original Shalimar lasts much longer than a fine Bordeau, assuming you are buying each to use rather than collect. I am fortunate that I can use my first spendy love, knitting, to support my perfume habit now. May I show you a fair trade baby alpaca/silk blend from Peru?
Oh well, i broke down and ordered 3 of the scents Jackie O’Lantern, if you love sweet gourmand this one is for you……..its almost too much for me, so i will try to find a new home for it. The other two i ordered are Violet Tendencies(beautiful Leather Violets) and Lucy Fur, my favorite. You know i am not sure if anybody remembers the brand called Scent by Alexis…well let me tell you..the Lucy Fur smells close to one of her scents……not bad for $20.
Oh, I remember Scent by Alexis! Yes, those were very spendy.
Yes $100 per bottle….this is an absolute bargain.