BPAL: Ragnarok
Mar. 31st, 2014 08:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydionBoy am I glad I got decants, not bottles.
Ordered:
The Battle of Vigridr 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: The blood of the gods cascading onto earth and into sea: salt and sinew, venom and flame, and bone shards scattered across the gore-soaked soil of Óskópnir.)
In bottle: I love the way the soil, blood, and ocean scents commingle. There is a hint of something chalky I assume stands in for bone. There is a hint of something sharp, I’m going to call venom. There is something meaty and blood adjacent, that I’m assuming is gore and/or sinew. I was having a hard time imagining what this would smell like, but now that it is under my nose, I can’t imagine this smelling another way. It’s a perfect fit for its concept. Wet: I can’t remember which is death cap and which is Devil’s Claw at this remove. I’m thinking it’s Devil’s Claw this smells like, with a whole lot of smoke. I am thinking the bone turned into Devil’s Claw and the gore into smoke, but don’t quote me. I can still pick out the thing I’m calling venom, stronger now. About five minutes after application, the Devil’s Claw calms down and I can parse it as bone and blood, sort of. As the smoke fades I get soil. This is nothing like it was in the imp, though and my skin chemistry is turning sense into non-sense. I do like when it enters the smoky soil with some blood phase, but this doesn’t work on me for the majority of its phases. Dry: Sweaty sneakers and bandaids. I’m willing to bet that’s just me.
FEMALE BEAUTY IN SPIDERWEB KIMONO 2014 (LE, Lupercalia, BPTP, Home & Linen Spray): (Company says: White fig, tea leaves, oakmoss, and lilac blossoms.)
Review: Lilac dominant with strong tea support, and much softer sweetening support from the fig. The oakmoss is understated, giving it depth while still playing well with the other notes. This is a beautiful spring floral and makes me miss the lilacs in the yard of the house where I grew up. The fig cones out stronger over time, but the whole remains beautiful even as time changes its balance. This is to Spring what Dia De Los Muertos is to Autumn, and beautiful in a similar way.
The Fimbul Winter 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: The scent of utter desolation: three long white winters ushering in the end of the world. Endless rolling landscapes of snow and ice, bereft of bud, flower, or seed.)
In bottle: Very minty snow with lemon and a kiss of sugar. The mint and lemon give it bite, but there is sweetness and a surprising softness underneath. Given the tength and type of mint, no skin test.
The Laughter of Loki 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Serpentine green musk with fiery red ginger, sweet basil, alder leaf, white patchouli, cistus, and mistletoe.)
In bottle: Very patchouli, with the musk edging it towards sexy. The ginger supports the patchouli and musk well. The basil, alder, and mistletoe give it a green, woody/herbal feel. The Internet tells me cistus is a flower. I’m guessing it’s the delicate vaguely floral not softening the edges of this. Wet: Softer on the skin. It remains patchouli dominant, but less emphatically so. The musk is still sexy support. The ginger pops more on the skin, as does the cistus of all things. It is still delicate, but stands out more from the background, much as the Alder leaf does. The Basil and mistletoe remain understated, with the mistletoe the stronger oif the two. To be honest, my skin is eating this. There is very little throw and the whole fragrance is dim and muddy compared to how vibrant it is in the bottle. I’m going to have to blame my skin. Dry: Really pretty green musk mostly.
Managarm’s Bloody Jaws 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: The offspring of Fenrir, known in whispers as the Moon-Hound, the Moon-Snatcher, the Enemy, He Who Hates: ironwood needles and blood-matted fur.)
In bottle: It’s exactly as one would expect from the description: sharp evergreen needles and blood strongest with a hint of iron and warm musky fur accord. I love it in the bottle and I have hopes of what it will do on skin. Wet: It’s weird on my skin. The dominant brown furry musk and its blood support curdle and snarl. Seriously, this smells like a snarl sounds. The Ironwood needles form a softer background, though given time they strengthen and the fur gentles a little. I am loving the ironwood needles, but the fur is unnerving me. Dry: It has a sharp animal smell that makes me think I need a good wash, likely my skin continuing to amp the musk when moist of the rest has fallen away.
The Rending of the Rock 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Doom unfettered, the ruin of hope: the tattered remains of Gelgja, smashed stone, feral grey musk, and blackened blood.)
In bottle: This is beautifully well designed. The blackened blood, stone, and musk go together beautifully. The charred blood is dominant, but the musk and stone give very well-designed support. Wet: Surprisingly sweet and vaguely… orange? I think I’m misparsing the blackened blood, turning some tangy element of the accord into something it isn’t. You really need to love blackened blood to where this because of the throw and dominence. The musk is second, the stone a very weak third. Dry: I think I love feral grey musk. This is deliciously sexy now.
THE SHINING DIMPLE OF LOVE 2014 (LE, Lupercalia, BPTP, Bath Oil): (Company says: Vanilla orchid, vanilla absolute, and black tea leaf.)
In bottle: This is very vanilla, with black tea leaf combining with the orchid in a way that resembles anis. I like the way the black tea leaf gives the rather floral vanilla dark depths. The combination is surprisingly seductive.
The Ship of Hel 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Black oak and sprucewood with opoponax, myrrh, black ambergris, and the silent ice of Niflheimr).
In bottle: Teeth gratingly minty snow with rich opoponax support. The oak and spruce form a woody faction that goes well with the snow. The myrrh and ambergris dance with the opoponax. The snow is too intense for me in the bottle, but the blend is intriguing.
The Sword of Surtur 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Iron and fire: red-hot ginger, fossilized amber, prickly poppy, red cedar, cubeb, star anise, and scorpion pepper.
In bottle: This is unusual. The anise sings when combined with ginger and amber, turned particularly heady when you add in poppy as well. The cubeb (a kind of pepper) and scorpion pepper give this sting. The cedar is understated and ties things together. The effect is dangerous and spicy. Wet: Lemon drops? Apparently my skin is really fickle today. Given time, the ginger, poppy, and peppers fight their way free of the accidental accord and the anise follows a bit after. It’s a little vase and lady’s profile for me, flipping back and forth as my focus shifts between the proper elements and the accidental tart citrus. It does eventually settle into an anise dominant scent with amber, ginger, cedar, and poppy support in order of strongest to weakest. The peppers are less distinct but still giving the whole thing an interesting edge. Dry: Anise dominant with ginger and amber support, kissed by peppers.
The Waters of the Well of Wisdom 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Cool, dark water steeped with mugwort, mayweed, and thyme.)
In bottle: I am not familiar with mugwort or mayweed. This is very intense a hard to describe. It is either mugwort dominant with strong mayweed support or vica versa. I can separate the scents, but I have no idea which is which. Either way, the thyme is also in support, though more modest. I am really struggling to describe the green, bitter, yet strangely rich fragrance in my hand. Underneath the greenery lies a dark still, watery canvass, likely with undertow or worse things lurking to grab the ankle. Wet: I was worried this might be too intense on my skin, and it sits right on the border between intriguing and too much. I rather wish the strongest of the plants switched places with the thyme for intensity. With a little wear, the waters rise and soften the plants. It is very, very marshy banks of a deep dark pool. Dry: No, just no. The dominant plant is too much after the rest has burnt away.
Winners: Female Beauty in a Spiderweb Kimono
Runners Up: The Shining Dimple of Love
Ordered:
The Battle of Vigridr 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: The blood of the gods cascading onto earth and into sea: salt and sinew, venom and flame, and bone shards scattered across the gore-soaked soil of Óskópnir.)
In bottle: I love the way the soil, blood, and ocean scents commingle. There is a hint of something chalky I assume stands in for bone. There is a hint of something sharp, I’m going to call venom. There is something meaty and blood adjacent, that I’m assuming is gore and/or sinew. I was having a hard time imagining what this would smell like, but now that it is under my nose, I can’t imagine this smelling another way. It’s a perfect fit for its concept. Wet: I can’t remember which is death cap and which is Devil’s Claw at this remove. I’m thinking it’s Devil’s Claw this smells like, with a whole lot of smoke. I am thinking the bone turned into Devil’s Claw and the gore into smoke, but don’t quote me. I can still pick out the thing I’m calling venom, stronger now. About five minutes after application, the Devil’s Claw calms down and I can parse it as bone and blood, sort of. As the smoke fades I get soil. This is nothing like it was in the imp, though and my skin chemistry is turning sense into non-sense. I do like when it enters the smoky soil with some blood phase, but this doesn’t work on me for the majority of its phases. Dry: Sweaty sneakers and bandaids. I’m willing to bet that’s just me.
FEMALE BEAUTY IN SPIDERWEB KIMONO 2014 (LE, Lupercalia, BPTP, Home & Linen Spray): (Company says: White fig, tea leaves, oakmoss, and lilac blossoms.)
Review: Lilac dominant with strong tea support, and much softer sweetening support from the fig. The oakmoss is understated, giving it depth while still playing well with the other notes. This is a beautiful spring floral and makes me miss the lilacs in the yard of the house where I grew up. The fig cones out stronger over time, but the whole remains beautiful even as time changes its balance. This is to Spring what Dia De Los Muertos is to Autumn, and beautiful in a similar way.
The Fimbul Winter 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: The scent of utter desolation: three long white winters ushering in the end of the world. Endless rolling landscapes of snow and ice, bereft of bud, flower, or seed.)
In bottle: Very minty snow with lemon and a kiss of sugar. The mint and lemon give it bite, but there is sweetness and a surprising softness underneath. Given the tength and type of mint, no skin test.
The Laughter of Loki 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Serpentine green musk with fiery red ginger, sweet basil, alder leaf, white patchouli, cistus, and mistletoe.)
In bottle: Very patchouli, with the musk edging it towards sexy. The ginger supports the patchouli and musk well. The basil, alder, and mistletoe give it a green, woody/herbal feel. The Internet tells me cistus is a flower. I’m guessing it’s the delicate vaguely floral not softening the edges of this. Wet: Softer on the skin. It remains patchouli dominant, but less emphatically so. The musk is still sexy support. The ginger pops more on the skin, as does the cistus of all things. It is still delicate, but stands out more from the background, much as the Alder leaf does. The Basil and mistletoe remain understated, with the mistletoe the stronger oif the two. To be honest, my skin is eating this. There is very little throw and the whole fragrance is dim and muddy compared to how vibrant it is in the bottle. I’m going to have to blame my skin. Dry: Really pretty green musk mostly.
Managarm’s Bloody Jaws 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: The offspring of Fenrir, known in whispers as the Moon-Hound, the Moon-Snatcher, the Enemy, He Who Hates: ironwood needles and blood-matted fur.)
In bottle: It’s exactly as one would expect from the description: sharp evergreen needles and blood strongest with a hint of iron and warm musky fur accord. I love it in the bottle and I have hopes of what it will do on skin. Wet: It’s weird on my skin. The dominant brown furry musk and its blood support curdle and snarl. Seriously, this smells like a snarl sounds. The Ironwood needles form a softer background, though given time they strengthen and the fur gentles a little. I am loving the ironwood needles, but the fur is unnerving me. Dry: It has a sharp animal smell that makes me think I need a good wash, likely my skin continuing to amp the musk when moist of the rest has fallen away.
The Rending of the Rock 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Doom unfettered, the ruin of hope: the tattered remains of Gelgja, smashed stone, feral grey musk, and blackened blood.)
In bottle: This is beautifully well designed. The blackened blood, stone, and musk go together beautifully. The charred blood is dominant, but the musk and stone give very well-designed support. Wet: Surprisingly sweet and vaguely… orange? I think I’m misparsing the blackened blood, turning some tangy element of the accord into something it isn’t. You really need to love blackened blood to where this because of the throw and dominence. The musk is second, the stone a very weak third. Dry: I think I love feral grey musk. This is deliciously sexy now.
THE SHINING DIMPLE OF LOVE 2014 (LE, Lupercalia, BPTP, Bath Oil): (Company says: Vanilla orchid, vanilla absolute, and black tea leaf.)
In bottle: This is very vanilla, with black tea leaf combining with the orchid in a way that resembles anis. I like the way the black tea leaf gives the rather floral vanilla dark depths. The combination is surprisingly seductive.
The Ship of Hel 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Black oak and sprucewood with opoponax, myrrh, black ambergris, and the silent ice of Niflheimr).
In bottle: Teeth gratingly minty snow with rich opoponax support. The oak and spruce form a woody faction that goes well with the snow. The myrrh and ambergris dance with the opoponax. The snow is too intense for me in the bottle, but the blend is intriguing.
The Sword of Surtur 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Iron and fire: red-hot ginger, fossilized amber, prickly poppy, red cedar, cubeb, star anise, and scorpion pepper.
In bottle: This is unusual. The anise sings when combined with ginger and amber, turned particularly heady when you add in poppy as well. The cubeb (a kind of pepper) and scorpion pepper give this sting. The cedar is understated and ties things together. The effect is dangerous and spicy. Wet: Lemon drops? Apparently my skin is really fickle today. Given time, the ginger, poppy, and peppers fight their way free of the accidental accord and the anise follows a bit after. It’s a little vase and lady’s profile for me, flipping back and forth as my focus shifts between the proper elements and the accidental tart citrus. It does eventually settle into an anise dominant scent with amber, ginger, cedar, and poppy support in order of strongest to weakest. The peppers are less distinct but still giving the whole thing an interesting edge. Dry: Anise dominant with ginger and amber support, kissed by peppers.
The Waters of the Well of Wisdom 2014 (LE, Ragnarok): (Company says: Cool, dark water steeped with mugwort, mayweed, and thyme.)
In bottle: I am not familiar with mugwort or mayweed. This is very intense a hard to describe. It is either mugwort dominant with strong mayweed support or vica versa. I can separate the scents, but I have no idea which is which. Either way, the thyme is also in support, though more modest. I am really struggling to describe the green, bitter, yet strangely rich fragrance in my hand. Underneath the greenery lies a dark still, watery canvass, likely with undertow or worse things lurking to grab the ankle. Wet: I was worried this might be too intense on my skin, and it sits right on the border between intriguing and too much. I rather wish the strongest of the plants switched places with the thyme for intensity. With a little wear, the waters rise and soften the plants. It is very, very marshy banks of a deep dark pool. Dry: No, just no. The dominant plant is too much after the rest has burnt away.
Winners: Female Beauty in a Spiderweb Kimono
Runners Up: The Shining Dimple of Love