Öndurdis

[Imbrium]

The Ski Lady, jötunn goddess of winter, bowhunting, mountains, and skiing. The scent of winter wind blowing over snow-capped mountains.

Oh, hellooooooooooo Öndurdis. This smells like Christmas: pine, cold, a bit of something like winter berries.

Look, I knew I had to had to have Ondurdis because I was hoping it would smell like Skadi, who I've been missing like crazy. I'm sure opinion will be divided on this, but Öndurdis smells a lot like Skadi to my nose, only a bit sharper. The pine is predominant, with a bit of a biting, cold scent behind it, and a hint of sweetness behind it all. It doesn't really become any more complex on my skin, or even change much in the drydown, just settling into the skin more (which, incidentally, is exactly how Skadi behaved on me too--and, really, how any super-piney scent seems to behave on me), but that's fine with me--this isn't really an every day scent for me, anyway, more a perfume for when I want to smell like Christmas, especially when it's cold outside, and I am very happily indoors.

[fiddlehead]

I cannot make any comparisons to Skadi because I've never smelled it. To me, this is Nocnitsa's mellower sister. It has that fir/pine note that I love but it isn't as strong as in Nocnitsa and there is definitely a "cold" sort of note in Ondurdis. And of course there is no dirt note. It's a lovely Winter/Christmas time scent!

 

My husband just walked in and said (in his best caveman voice) "Woman smell GOOD!". Heh. I'll definitely be keeping this one

[wishingwell]

This is a really, really gorgeous pine. It's rich and wet and makes me think of dark green emeralds. There's also something chilly in the background, which is probably the Lab's "snow" note. Stays true from wet to full drydown and has some real staying power.

 

Sadly, it's too strong on me. I wish I could wear it, but even a tiny test was too much. Might try it as a room scent before I decide to swap it because it really is just a beautiful Christmas/Yule fragrance.

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: Ozone, a little pine, a little stone or rock, perhaps granite.

 

Wet: Bam! All pine, all the time!

 

The dry-down: This warms up over a period of time, the pine mellows out some, and there's a hint of honey and some sort of red berry. It's certainly a morpher! The pine is the only consistent note. At some point I would like to compare this to Skadi and also Ice Queen.

 

ETA: I have totally fallen in love with this scent. I adore the way it morphs from the ice cold to the piney forest to the honeyed berries. I ordered back-ups.

 

I hope it returns at every Yule-tide.

Edited February 23, 2012 by thekittenkat

[edenssixthday]

Öndurdis - This smells like Skadi met up with the Shivering Boy and The Winter Maiden bath oil and had somehow created a beautiful little baby. It's a truly amazing winter scent, full of pine and snow and ice, but also there's an undertone of frozen winter berries. It's absolutely amazing, and will be well-loved by me during these frozen winter months! The throw is really good, but not overpowering, and the scent has an average level of staying power.

[Eemia]

I love snow scents. LOVE them. So I was so excited to get this one. This is very much a snow scent, but with a glitzy quality that I can't place. It's almost like a twinge of some chemical is in there somewhere. I think it adds to the cold brightness. Sorta reminds me of the effervescence in Stardust '06. It could have made this too high pitched for me but the green is so starkly beautiful. Maybe evergreen, but I don't really get a pine smell. I wouldn't have minded the pine though since I have grown to love pine too.

 

Not long after I put this on it softens out into a smoother version of snow. Something closer to a blankety, powdery snow. It sweetens up and becomes musky. Just a light, pale musk kinda scent. And through it all, it still has the green in there.

 

I got kinda swept up in this and felt like it lifted my mood. This goes up there with my favorite snow fragrances.

[Invidiana]

This is like Skadi, Talvikuu and Snow-Flakes crossed paths. I actually have Ondurdis on one hand and Skadi on the other to compare notes. It starts out bracing, with a rush of frozen ozone like a blast of winter wind in your face, but not a mentholic cough-medicine type of bracing--similar to the wet stage of Skadi. On the drydown, while Skadi goes to mostly pine and winter berries with a dusting of snow on me, Ondurdis becomes a soft yet uplifting predominantly snowy scent with hints of pine, nonfoody vanilla and a smidge of winter berry, but not the prominent pine and berry of Skadi. Overall I'd wager there is about a 75% similarity between the two (on my skin at least), but when my nose jumps from one to the other I can pick out subtle differences. Despite the scent worship that surrounds Skadi, I have to say that I personally prefer this one.

Edited December 16, 2011 by Invidiana

[WidgetAlley]

Hellz yeah to the snow note!

 

Imp: A soft, sweet idea of snow with a lightly floral component, and something strong and musky behind it. There's pine and a gorgeous vanilla in there too. It smells like a dream of a winter's day in the high mountains, or like walking on the fresh snow first thing in the morning as dawn comes red and rose. It also makes me want a proper winter and not just this constant cold rain!

 

Wet: A prickly, pine-y sweet musk with a soft berry and winter floral over it, and distinct snow in the background. A flush of something vanillic rounds it out beautifully with a warm, sweet, almost slightly waxy smell. The floral/snow/pine combo in here reminds me a lot of Snow Moon (one of my favorites), but this has a lot of other things layered all around it to make it distinct and different and beautiful. Now I'm getting an almost spicy note, like a very soft cinnamon, over the berries, but it doesn't smell like a Christmas store.

 

Dry: The snow comes back to the front, settling in, with a winter white-and-yellow floral just behind it, and a big mix of pine trees, pale berries (like golden raspberries, almost), vanilla and musk behind that. I'm such a sucker for snow scents! This is lovely.

[Dark Alice]

On me..this is Skadi's younger sister. More berry, less pine, more snow note. I am the BPAL snow notes and pine. Skadi is more pine and snow not berry. Skadi lovers rejoice!

[patina]

Strong pine and berries! The pine verges on the medicinal but it's not unpleasant to my nose. I couldn't say what kind of berries are involved. Maybe juniper and some kind of red winter berry? There's also a hint of ozone.

 

The pine mellows out a bit, until it smells more like fir. The berries are still present and I also get the vanilla/snow/white musk I got from Snow White. It verges on feminine perfume, but very few traditional perfumes include fir.

 

This can be compared to Winter Maiden bath oil, except Winter Maiden was more traditionally perfumy with its white rose and amber.

 

Edit: I thought it was my imagination at first but the berries and pine combine to make pineapple on me.

Edited December 26, 2011 by patina

[angelicruin]

Snow, pine, ozone, and berries. Just a perfect, wonderful winter scent.

[cuervosueno]

Yeah, it is very like Skadi/Snow Moon to me. Later today I'll compare it side by side with Skadi, but right now, it is quite similar. Snow Moon has a slight bit of a sweeter edge, and after they've both been on a few hours, I like the dry down on Snow Moon better: it is slightly sweeter, and this is slightly sharper.

 

I had to try it, but as I suspected, I'm happy with my bottle of Snow Moon. Still, for those that don't have Skadi or Snow Moon, it is a great substitute and very similar.

 

eta: Ok, finally tried all three at the same time. I do think this is different than Snow Moon and Skadi now,but in unexpected ways.

 

All three have a similar sharp opening--pine, the lab's "snow" note, and in all three something sharp, almost menthol. When I first smelled all three in the bottle and wet, they smelled almost identical to me, though Ondurdis was by far the weakest of the three in terms of scent. I put them all on. Skadi had the most throw, and stayed very strong and sharpish with that menthol note for the longest time. Ondurdis had very little throw and the sharpness started to fade quickly.

 

The biggest difference was on the dry down, though. On me, Skadi and Snow Moon are very similar in the dry down--in fact, I can't really tell the difference between the two on me. But Ondurdis was quite different: about an hour in, it had turned to a soft, slightly vanilla-ish white musk sort of scent. I don't get that at all from the other two. It also was very faint.

 

Two hours later, Skadi and Snow Moon were still strong, and Ondurdis was basically gone.

 

So...it's for sure not a keeper for me.

Edited January 25, 2012 by cuervosueno

[Antoinette]

Ok, so I am head over heels for Ondurdis but if you ask me to name notes - I'm out of luck. This is really one of the only snow scents I can pull off and it's beautiful. It smells like a refreshing, bracing cold winter wind in the beginning and as it dries down it rounds out with a faint sweetness (berry?).

 

Divine.

[Lit Chick]

Ondurdis...

 

Almost a ZOMG scent. Almost. I only have one other pine scent currently, and that is Snow Moon. These are similar enough that I don't feel like I need Ondurdis. Snow Moon is sweeter, and more likely to hit that dreaded BO note.

Ondurdis is fresher. It has a hint of the BO, but it's not off-putting. It's only there when I huff and analyze. After an initial POW of throw, this settles and becomes subtle.

 

A very nice, crisp, slightly sweet winter-pine scent. I will certainly use my decant.

[Akurarei]

Ondurdis

 

In the Bottle:

Crisp Cold/Snow

 

On my Skin, Wet:

Crisp Clean Snow, A Clear Wind & a Touch of 'Minerals'

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Crisp Snow & Wind, a Hint of Pine....and still a touch of 'Minerals'

 

Verdict:

Lovely scent...

It's very wintery but subtle.

[Altaira]

In the decant this is mostly mint and a warm spice.

 

On my skin it is still mostly mint and a warm spice with a splash of cologne on top. It started to give me a headache so I washed it off after a few minutes. BPAL snow blends are just not my friends.

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant circle

 

Initial Thoughts: Like so many others, I also hunt for that twin to Skadi's wintry woods scent.

 

In the Vial: Cold pine with a hint of sweet spices underneath.

 

Wet: The scent starts out chilly and so far the pine is muted. Nice to have an evergreen scent that isn't ZOMG!pine.

 

Drydown: The sweet-spicy note, possibly a berry note, gets stronger and makes a very balanced scent between the snow, the pine and the berry.

 

Verdict: Ultimately this strikes me as a much softer version of Skadi, perhaps a version that can be worn at work or around people who might complain of a strong perfume. Not sure I'll need a bottle...must ponder.

[Clavis]

Well, never having tried Skadi I have no idea how they match up so all I can do is give my own impressions...

 

Wet: A bit of eucalyptus gives the chilliness and makes the pine seem a bit rough at first. The pine itself is very light. As it warms on the skin, a sweet berry/floral comes out, perhaps that's a touch of rooibos? It bears a certain similarity.

 

Dry: The eucalyptus fades and a light musk comes out touched with vanilla so the scent warms a bit. The vanilla with the berry/floral is lovely!

 

Overall: Beautiful! Well blended and balanced. The scent is strongest in the first 15 minutes, after that it calms down and stays close to the skin. Rather addictive!

[astarinel]

Surprisingly, the ozone is failing to turn to soapy dryer sheets, but I can already tell this is not a me scent.

 

It's cold and remote, a little piney, and a little bit of that mineral note feel as well. There's something sharp, too, and very wintery.

 

I guess I should just stick to L'Inverno and Snow Moon, none of the other snowy blends ever work for me! I prefer the sweeter snow note, and the ozone just ends up giving me a headache most of the time.

[Little Bird]

Forum ate my first review, so here I try again...

I don't think that Ondurdis smells much like Skadi or Snow Moon, which are two of my favorite winter/snow scents (though Skadi hasn't aged well for me). This is sharper, colder, and perfumey to my nose. It goes on like bracing menthol, a perfumey-chemical musk, and a little bit of sweet snow and sour pine. It's not sweet enough for me, though the drydown does sweeten up a bit, with perhaps a bit of a berry note to it. It mostly smells cold, clean, and perfumey to me. The scent starts off strong but has faded a lot within fifteen minutes.

[Sateki]

This starts off as a very cold, snowy and pine scent. Sharp to the nose. After about 10 minutes, it starts to sweeten up, and the pine starts fading. About 20 minutes in, the pine is gone, and there is very little snow scent left. The berries have come to play. It ends up a sweet berry scent with the tiniest hints of snow. Not what I was expecting, but I quite like it! It's a keeper for me!

[Miyabi]

Very, very similar to Skadi, with the pine and eucalyptus notes. I was hoping for more of a berry undertone, but so far, compared to Talvikuu, The First Soft Snow, and Snow Bunny '08, this is the closest. Definitely a winter scent, and while I'll always miss Skadi, I'll cherish this one.

[het4377]

In The Bottle/Imp: Very similar in feel to Wolf Moon and Snow Moon.

 

Wet: Definitely getting that lovely BPAL snow note! Maybe a touch of juniper and juniper berries in there too? Hard to tell under all the snow note .

 

Drydown: Ok, this has a very masculine musk note coming out (and by masculine musk I mean it's got a BO thing going on) with the underlying base of snow. This is a blend I would like to try on the hubby and see what it does on him. The pine/juniper note and the berries have all but disappeared.

 

Changes as Time Elapses: This ends up being a nice cologne-y and cool blend. While it wasn't "WOW" on me, it's definitely something worth trying on the hubby.

 

Rating: 3/5

 

Similar to: Snow Moon '05, Wolf Moon, Snow Bunny '08, Jólasveinar 2010 (NOT Skadi - that one had way more woods in it for me)

[strahlend]

I had a good feeling about this scent for some reason. I like snow scents, but I'm not sure what particularly called out to me. I ended up getting a partial bottle before my decants even arrived. I've never tried Skadi, so I've got no comparison to offer there.

 

Initial impression - snow, sweet evergreen, and a touch of pine.

 

Testing - it goes on with a mighty blast of pine but that quickly subsides and other woodsy, snowy, wintery notes pop forward. I almost get a hint of lemon among the snow, evergreen, and pine. There's a musky note anchoring this scent that's reminding me of something, a perfume I had a long time ago. It's feeling menthol cool on my skin where I applied it. Refreshing! The musk with the cool notes is feeling kind of cologne-ish, but in a really fantastic way. I keep feeling like I'm getting hints of beeswax or candles. As the cold and tree notes mellow just a touch the waxy note hangs in there which is making this feel a little softer and sweeter than it did when it first went on. Still getting the faintest hint of something just a little bit tart in the background.

Eventually it softens into this really gorgeous snowy musk with just a touch of sweetness to it.

 

This scent has a lot of interesting layers to it. It's a very lovely scent experience. I like it a lot.

[SadariEvenstar]

Pine and Juicy Fruit gum with the pine fading away almost entirely within about 15 minutes. This is very sweet on me, I wasn't expecting that.