la belle dame sans merci

Green. And lovely. This is the green smell of uncultivated spring. I am very particular about florals, in that I don't go for many of them. This one I really like. For one, I really enjoy dandelion and I love the symbolism of the dandelion -- thriving in adverse conditions, bright & cheerful, wishing, uncultivated & unabashed. This is a very green fragrance that enjoys the sophistication of myrrh. My daughter says I smell like a meadow.

I don't like sweet, fruity scents, so I would not normally pick a fragrance that starts out with fig, especially since I grew up with my sole exposure to fig being my grandmother's super-sweet fig preserves, but I really wanted to try the redwood note and all the other notes work on me. I am astounded. This is beyond my expectations. Aeronwen is just lovely. Lovely! There is a sweetness, but it is tempered so well by the other notes. Dark and spicy and subtly sweet. Overall, complex and gorgeous. On me, Aeronwen doesn't morph dramatically but she lasts for hours. She stays close; not a lot of throw. But that's OK. I don't mind keeping her all to myself. She is so worth it. An intimate, gorgeous, complex scent.

Bottles: Aeronwyn Carnaval Diabolique Devil's Night 2009 The East Faiza the Black Mamba Harvest Moon 2010 The Hell-Gate of Ireland 2009 Hexennacht 2008 Jolasveinar 2006 Jolasveinar 2007 Knecht Ruprecht 2006 Longing 2010 (x2) Peacock Queen 2009 Shanghai Smoky Moon 2009 (Tristesses de la Lune) Sol Invictus 2006 The Steeple 2010 (1ml) Stormclouds Over the Midway Sugar Moon 2008 Tabella 2008 Whirling Wind Moon 2010 The Winter of Our Discontent 2006 Empty Bottles: Night Thoughts 2008 Pumpkin V 2009 Imps/Decants: #20 Love Oil Anathema Arkham Baghdad Belladonna Bengal Black Rose Clytie (decant) Come to Me Djinn Eos (2) Et Lux Fuit 2006 The Ghost A Howl in the Darkness 2010 (decant) Inganok Jewelers 2010 (decant) The Lady of Shalott Leanan Sidhe L'examen de Minuit Lightning (decant) Lotus Moon 2010 (decant) Machu Picchu Monster Bait: Underbed (sniffie; decant) Morgause Mourning Moon 2008 (decant) Nefertiti Nocnitsa Odd Portents 2010 (decant) Ogygia Opium Poppy Oya Pain The Phantom Wooer Poisoned Apple Pontarlier Punkie Night 2010 (decant) The Raven Red Moon 2007 (decant) The Red Queen Saint-Germain Scarecrow Shanghai Shoggoth Silk Road Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener Tabella (decant) The Temptation Tin Foil Hat (sniffie) Utrennyaya Venice Go here for stuff I've tried but I would rather see go to a loving home.

edited 11/7/10 Imps & Decants for Swap/Sale: various fill levels and label conditions If you want to swap, see my Wish List Limited Editions Black Moon (sniffie) The Black Swan (decant; testable sniffie) The East (sniffie) Et Lux Fuit The Steeple (sniffie) Tetramorph (1/4 decant) General Catalog Apertos Eros Black Rose Cordelia Crossroads Danube (decant) Dragon's Tears Ether Faustus Ile De La Tortue King of Hearts La Belle Dame Sans Merci Loralei The Lotus Tree Mag Mell Midnight Muse Nyx Pahoehoe (decant) Persephone Rapture Rose Cross Santa Eularia Des Riu Veil Volt (decant) Volt (1/2 decant) Wicked Zephyr Bottles for Swap/Sale: Black Moon (1ml) $5.50 Others for Swap/Sale: Blooddrop Merci 45 (bottle -1 decant) I smell hazelnut coffee and vanilla Artemesia Lavender & Clove (1/2 sample)

The throw on this is incredibly strong! My daughter could smell it in the other room. I had to go wash it off and we can't smell it on me anymore but the entire house smells like Faustus now, which does smell like sweet frankincense, a little violet, but no cinnamon. Mostly, it smells like industrial antibacterial soap to me.

I should love this. I've really been pleased with the other Wanderlusts I've tried and this one is up my alley: dirt and moss. But... there's jasmine in this. And I can't smell anything past that. Bummer.

I'm still learning which notes work with me and which ones don't -- and which ones are maybe OK in very small doses with many other notes. For example, I like Defutata, which does have jasmine in it, but that one blend has been a complete anomaly when it comes to jasmine. Jasmine and I don't get along. I couldn't get past the jasmine to get to any of the other notes. For someone who likes jasmine, Muse is a good one. But oh-so-not for me.

updated 10/24/10 THE GOOD opium juniper fir moss dirt fern dark(er) roses lemon verbena orange blossom mock orange mandarin tangerine plum olive blossom chamomile neroli sandalwood violet ginger cinnamon saffron champagne bourbon lavender honeysuckle water lotus amber black tea green tea apples pumpkin heliotrope THE BAD jasmine (rare exceptions) anise tea rose THE AMBIVALENT In small enough notes, these can be really good. But as predominant notes, they are very bad. vetiver (love/hate relationship) frankincense myrrh patchouli metallics vanilla honey dragon's blood resin (makes me stuffy; too sweet generally) nag champa musk water lilly

Imp: Strong; sharp floral; green; can't pin it all down exactly Wet: Strong; tea rose with greenery Dry: Strong; definitely tea rose with the sharp tang of metal Throw: Lots! My overall impression is this is a brilliant olfactory interpretation of the poem! Intense, youthful (but certainly not innocent) femininity represented by the tea rose and the green scent (can't place it). Then after a while, the metallic note distinctly reveals itself. Now whether this is a ladies' dagger or the knight's own sword, I'll leave to your own predilections. I seem to do well with the dark(er) rose notes. The tea rose in La Belle Dame Sans Merci, however, is far too potent with my skin chemistry. But if you love tea rose, this one is a must.

Wondering how you are doing. And if your meds are still not working, don't be afraid to push your doc to change them. It may take a few tries to find the one that works for you right now. I'm new to scents, so I don't have a recommendation -- although I got a decant of "Odd Portents" today and it is wonderful. Please keep reaching out. We'll keep reaching right back.

This one is really hard to describe, and I'm so new at this, without a sophisticated nose. Dark Alice sums it up with "There is something fruity, dark, and sensual about this." She's so right, I think of it as a spicy sensuality blended with a sweet, dark floral sensuality. I really like bourbon so I do notice that. It's like the bourbon note blends the olibanum and myrrh (which is where I think I'm getting the "spicy" impression from) with the blackcurrant and geranium. For being the first note listed, I don't get much black rose. An incredible synthesis of scent. Sophisticated and pleasurable.

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.

Even before I take the cap off the imp, I like this one. The cap off, and oh, yeah. I can't wait to get this on me. Smells heavenly on and seems to have a nice throw, too. This distinctly reminds me of a little metaphysical shop I frequented while in college. I am new to training my nose to pinpoint notes, but I will guess, the most prominent note in Inganok Jewelers, and the one I'm really attracted to, is the incense Nag Champa. Hubby doesn't care for it, but I'll just wear it when I'm not around him. This is definitely one to wear when I'm at the Gem Show!

Trying to determine the base scents and combinations I am attracted to -- so I may better choose new flavors! Suggestions are most welcome. Jólasveinar (Yule 2006) -- Wow! I smell good enough to eat! Love-love-love. The girls and Hubby likes, too. Their scent is a mishmash of snow, dirt, Icelandic moss, marsh felwort, and the smushed petals of buttercups and moorland spotted orchids, with the barest hint of the scent of pilfered Christmas pastries. The Peacock Queen (Yule)-- Rosy but one I can wear well; beautiful; doesn't last overly long but it makes me feel good. In dramatic contrast to the soft innocence of Snow White and the dew-kissed freshness of her sister, Rose Red, this is a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred. Sol Invictus (Yule 2006) -- Very nice. Sultry, complicated light. Family OK with it. A radiant blend of solar oils: golden amber, saffron, heliotrope, hibiscus, citron, frangipani, frankincense, tangerine, mock orange, and orange blossom. Stormclouds Over The Midway Act IV: The Interlude -- Wine-colored storm clouds are gathering, and the scent of incense and ozone is thick in the wet air. Thunder-charged ozone, plum-colored incense smoke, opium tar, and wormwood. Punkie Night (Halloweenie 2010)--I like this. Very pleasant. Corie loves it. May have to get a bottle. However, it gives Josie a headache. Bummer. This is a light-hearted scent: apple orchards, bright cranberries, and a touch of warm cider. A Howl in the Darkness (Halloweenie 2010) --Subtle pine and mint. I like. Family seems OK with it. 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. Odd Portents (Halloweenie 2010) --Spicy sensuality blended with a sweet, dark floral sensuality. I like. Josie likes a great deal (says it reminds her of the Penzeys Spices store). Hubby does not like. <sigh> Black rose, olibanum, dark musk, myrrh, blackcurrant, lavender buds, bourbon geranium, and amber incense. Clytie (BPAL Trading Post LE) -- This is a very nice scent I really enjoyed wearing all day. If I run across a bottle, I'll have to snap it up! Great Loves and Tragedies of Ancient Greece - Excess of love begetting excess of grief: heliotrope, frankincense, muguet, osmanthus, and neroli. Lotus Moon 2010 Soporose and lenitive: opium-laced golden lotus with rich amber, red sandalwood, pomegranate, frankincense, and rose otto. Red Moon 2007 Our blend for this Moon mixes traditional lunar oils with the warmth of amber, Red musk, and heliotrope, the russet haze of dragon's blood resin, sunflower, and crushed orange peel, with a dusting of summertime herbs: chamomile, rue, elder flower and marigold. Blood Moon 2008--Spicy sweet. But even this little bit of dragon's blood makes my nose stuffy. The feral scent of the heat of the chase, deep woods, undulating musks, brushed by forest flora, swirled in the incense of the anointed cherub that covereth, and touched by blood-dimmed lunar oils. Inganok Jewelers (Lupercalia 2010) --Oh, I like this one. Unusual. Nag Champa incense like in that little metaphysical shop during college where I would buy jewelry. After a while there is a distinct metallic edge. Hubby does not like. Gleaming stone and silver. Arkham (discontinued) --This smells really good but it seems to be more of a masculine scent to me. I still like it. If I could find a bottle, I'd be very pleased. (Inspired by Lovecraft.) A scent seething with the perverse splendor of complete and utter madness. High-pitched, yet dark...subdued and deep, but tingling with frenzy: juniper, nutmeg and black cypress shocked by verbena and lavender. http://www.bpal.org/topic/255-arkham/ Tabella (Forum Only LE 2008) The voting tablet. Herbs and flowers that represent democracy, justice, leadership, and power: olive blossom, frankincense, tobacco flower, benzoin, Little John, bergamot, galangal, angelica, fig, sage, and ginger. Aperotos Eros (Ars Amatoria) --In the imp, I don't like it. When I put it on, I did so w/o smelling the imp and I can't smell it on me. Added more. Nothing! Will try another day. Tried again -- I can't believe I couldn't smell this! It's a rather bitter smell. Seems more masculine -- funny that other reviewers say it's more feminine. I do get traces of the bergamot and fir which I like but myrrh won't stop butting in. And then takes over. Damn you, myrrh. Unloving love: benzoin, Indian musk, massoia bark, myrrh, ambrette seed, galbanum, bergamot, and fir. Defututa (Ars Amatoria) -- sexy scent; mmmm; Hubby OK with it. Olive blossom, honey, smoky vanilla, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood, and champaca flower. The Lady Of Shalott (Ars Amatoria) Very pleasant but nothing that zings me. The scent of calm waters just before a raging storm, limned with achingly-beautiful blooms, an icy scent, but somehow warm, and mirror-bright: bold gardenia, crystalline musk, muguet, water blossoms, clear, slightly tart aquatic notes and a crush of white ginger. Lorelei (Ars Amatoria) A tragic heroine from German lore. In despair over a faithless lover, she threw herself into the Rhine. In death, she has become a siren that haunts that river to this day, luring sailors to their doom. Neroli, sandalwood, ylang ylang. Muse (Ars Amatoria) A light, invigorating floral and citrus blend. Tuberose, lotus and jasmine with a hint of lime. Nefertiti (Ars Amatoria) “The Beautiful One Is Come”. Egyptian iris and olibanum with red and white sandalwood, soft myrrh and a breath of North African herbs. Rapture (Ars Amatoria) Sensual ecstasy, the blinding red fire of the apex of sexual pleasure: Moroccan rose, Sumatran rose, mandarin, Egyptian myrrh, night-blooming jasmine, bergamot and neroli thrust into Arabian musk. The Ghost (Ars Moriendi) --Extremely subtle. Can slather on and it still doesn't have much throw. What I can smell, smells good. A thin, sinuous, creeping chill, the scent of glee-filled undeath: white iris, osmanthus, Calla lily, tomb-crawling ivy and a coffin spray of gladiolus, lisianthus and delphinium. La Belle Dame Sans Merci (Bewitching Brews) --Tea rose (yikes) with a metallic edge at the end. Rather overwhelming. Nope. A bewitching seductive scene, rife with mystery and foreboding. Lightning (Bewitching Brews)--Need a bottle of this. Pleasing. Lasts all day. Made me feel good even after 5 hours in the emergency room with my daughter. The electric tang of ozone, marine notes, and a drop of sharp rain. Morgause (Bewitching Brews) A bouquet of five night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits and the barest breath of medieval incenses. The Raven (Bewitching Brews) --Oh, I love this. There is something in this that reminds me of my beloved Aunt Myra Nell. Hubby OK with it. Sleek, dark, and ominous. Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk. http://www.bpal.org/topic/511-the-raven/page__p__3451__hl__raven__fromsearch__1#entry3451 Poisoned Apple (Bewitching Brews) -- Very nice, complicated apple scent. A perfect, lovely, gleaming red apple whose sweetness masks a swirl of narcotic opium, oleander, and hemlock. Saint-Germain (Bewitching Brews) discont. 8/13/10 --OMG the perfect scent for a man. Lots of throw. Hubby hates, though. "A man who knows everything and who never dies." He is a Hermetic Magician's hero for the ages, and his scent is an elegant, timeless, truly refined cologne, bold yet classic: gilded amber, hypnotic lavender, brash carnation and deep mosses. Josie (The District)--A little too sweet and then turns sour. Heady magnolia and honeyed peaches. Djinn (Diabolus)--I can't decide. Definitely a novelty scent. Wet is an experience of pissed power. But the last stage of dry is so wonderful. An ancient, free-willed race created from the essence of Fire, much as man was created from Earth. They prowled the land at night, vanishing with the first rays of dawn. Myths surrounding the Djinn paint them as many things: benevolent champions of mankind and slaves to mad sorcerers, malicious incubi / succubi and energy vampires, or malevolent harbingers of madness and disease. The Djinn are ruled by Iblis, the Prince of Darkness, who bears unspeakable contempt for man. The scent of black smoke, of crackling flames, and smoldering ashes. Eos (Excolo) The Rising Sun. She is Ostara, Easter, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility and the dawn. She is a protector and friend to all children. Her scent is that of softly glowing skin, jasmine, buttercup and honeysuckle. Oya (Excolo) --Lovely and subtle. May need a bottle of this! Lady of the Wind. She is the wind that precedes the thunderstorm, and it is in this that She is seen as Shango’s companion and partner in battle, and without Oya, there is little that Shango can accomplish. She fans the fires of Shango’s blazes, and is the forked lightning that touches the treetops. Oya’s ofrenda is a Nigerian potion of love and war, sweetened by darkest plum. Oya winiwini! http://www.bpal.org/topic/14293-oya/ Persephone (Excolo) --Exactly as the reviews say: juicy pomegranite. But the rose is a tea-rose type to me. It is a beautiful combination but a bit too sweet for my tastes. Beautiful, radiant daughter of Demeter...her loveliness was so exquisite that even Hell itself could not resist her. Pomegranate and rose. Utrennyaya (Excolo) --I need a bottle. Mint that gives way to floral. Doesn't last, tho. But touch-ups are nice b/c you get the mint back! The Zorya: Also called the Auroras. The Slavic Triple Goddesses of the Dawn, Sky and Light, who govern the paths of the day. The guard the constellation Ursa Minor from the chained Hound of Doomsday; should they ever fail in their duty, and the chain breaks, the universe will end. "The Morning Star" -- Osmanthus, Damascus rose, violet, delphinium, white mint, palmarosa and white sandalwood. Cordelia (Illyria) --Very floral; it's OK; then Josie got a headache off it. The essence of faith, love and devotion: lilac, lemon, green tea, wisteria, osmanthus, white cedar, and Chinese musk. Black Rose (Rappaccini's Garden) --Very mature rose. I like but this rose tends to amp and stick around. An evening scent. Exquisitely melancholy. The background scent to an ancient exequies. Heavy, dark and floral: a blend of roses, with a touch of amber and musk. Baghdad (Wanderlust) -- This is so spicy! I like! But what is messing around and making my eyes itch?! Amber, saffron and bergamot with mandarin, nutmeg, Bulgar rose, musk and sandalwood. Danube (Wanderlust) Rhododendron and bellflower petals swirl through deep, cool, dark aquatic notes. Machu Picchu (Wanderlust)--On the need-a-bottle list. Pleasing. Sweet tropical fruits burst through deep, wet rainforest boughs, enormous steamy blossoms, over thin mountaintop breezes, mingled with the soft, rich golden scent of Peruvian amber. Shanghai (Wanderlust)--BOUGHT A BOTTLE The crisp, clean scent of green tea touched with lemon verbena and honeysuckle. Silk Road (Wanderlust) --I may have to get a big bottle of this one. Very pleasant. Exotic/romantic impression to me. Nice throw; lasts pretty much all day. A note of clean patchouli that I like btw. A panoply of cultural treasures, spanning the herbs, flowers, oils and balms of the Romans, the Byzantines, the Mediterranean, the Levant, Northern China, Eastern Europe, Iran, the Bulgar-Kypchak, Mesopotamia, the Crimean Peninsula, Anatolia, Antioch, and North Africa. Venice (Wanderlust) --I think I like this. It does smell good, but it doesn't evoke an emotional connection. Oh, well. A complex, voluptuous scent that captures the robust beauty of the Italian Renaissance: lemon, red currant, wisteria, red rose petals, heady jasmine, Florentine orris root, waterlily, red sandalwood, violet plum, and violet leaf. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTRIGHT "NO" OR JUST "MEH" Wicked (Diabolus) --YUCK! I don't like this one at all from just the sniff from the imp. Don't even want to put this on. OK. Decided I can't just a perfume by the imp. There's an element here that reminds me of spiced apples. Definitely rose. But then it dries down to something I don't like. Jasmine? Too much myrrh? I'm thinking it's jasmine b/c I'm a little sneezy and myrrh hasn't done that to me before. A paean to all the Wicked Queens, Evil Stepmothers, and other misunderstood villainesses throughout history and lore. Lends an aura of majesty, refinement, strength, and a deep, brooding malice. A sophisticated, womanly scent: rich myrrh and jasmine draped in the subtlest rose. Highwayman (Bewitching Brews) I do not like vetiver and this is heavy vetiver! Vetiver with gardenia, blood red rose, night-blooming jasmine, a dash of cinnamon and a faint hint of leather. Katrina van Tassel - Sleepy Hollow (Halloweenies) --It's OK. I could wear it but it doesn't zing me. Rose note is nice. Maybe too much cream/sweet. But then later, I found I was really enjoying wearing it. White rose and honeyed cream. Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller - Act II: Fiat Nox -- Unfortunately this is a no. I think I just don't like patchouli. Didn't effect Hubby. Either way, my youngest says "it's hard to cuddle you when you stink". Wow. Don't mince words, hon. Red musk, vanilla bean, pomegranate, patchouli leaf and wild plum. Samhain -- I liked; got lots of compliments; Josie liked; was ready to buy a whole bottle...but Hubby HATED. Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. Delirium --The rose is a tea rose. Ick! apple, rose, lemon Djinn --A perfect interpretation of the name. Hot, pissed-off, powerful fire that then slowly burns itself out. http://www.bpal.org/topic/15688-santa-eul%26agrave%3Bria-des-riu/page__p__282156__hl__santa+ruis__fromsearch__1#entry282156 Saturnalia --Vetiver and violet. Gross!! I can't even smell the violet for the vetiver and if I do, I don't like it either. Santa Eularia Des Riu --I like the citrus at first but then this dries down to nothing but jasmine. No. http://www.bpal.org/topic/15688-santa-eul%26agrave%3Bria-des-riu/page__p__282156__hl__santa+ruis__fromsearch__1#entry282156 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --OTHER-- Lolita Lempicka Fleur Défendue "Forbidden Flower" Notes: Absinth Flower, Strawberry Leaf, Mimosa Stem, Peony, Violet, Aniseed Flower, Almond Musk, Morello Cherry Musk. Bvlgari Eau Parfumee White Tea Notes: Artemisia Leaves, Ambrette, White Pepper, White Tea, Musk, Woody Amber. Elizabeth Arden Provocative Interlude "citrusy floriental"; California Redwood? Top Notes: Wild Berries, Champagne Middle Notes: Rose, Sunset Orchid, Mango Flower Base Notes: Cashmere Musk, White Chocolate Elizabeth Arden Provocative Woman Top Notes: Quince, Water Lotus and Ginger Middle Notes: Midnight Orchid, Papaya Blossom and Pink Freesia Base Notes: White Sand, Red Amber and Hinoki Wood Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Top Notes: Peach Nectar Sorbet, Sicilian Mandarin, Damask Plum Middle Notes: Wisteria, Star Magnolia, Madagascar Orchid Base Notes: Sandalwood, Musk, Amber Liz by Liz Claiborne Top Notes: mandarin, pear, yello mimosa, and melon Middle Notes: purple hyacinth, honeysuckle, magnolia, and pink peony Base Notes: pink peppercorns, heliotrope, amber, and vanilla White Witch by Parfums Jamaica Smoking Plum by Violette Market Smoky Lapsang Souchong black tea, sweet Mount Wuyi black plum, raw vanilla pods, and a hint of cedar and redwood, create a dreamy mid-afternoon mist of esoteric mysteries. Channeling Spirits 2010 by Blooddrop Great, great grandmamma clearly had a good bit left to say before she passed on. How lucky of her to get in a few last words! Black tea, faded soft blossoms, and a whisper of cool mint. The Veil Between Two Worlds 2010 by Blooddrop A beautiful, sheer blend sharing earthly and spiritual qualities, welcoming one to the other. Pale green herbs, sweetened lemon and white grapefruit, sweet pea flower, mushroom fairy rings and faint blonde tobacco.