The Apothecary

[allybee]

Tea leaf with three mosses, green grass, a medley of herbal notes, and a drop of ginger and fig.

Hmm. Herby with a hint of lemon that gradually dissapears over the space of an hour, leaving it softer and sweeter, with the fig becoming more discernable. This is yummy, but quite a drowsy scent-- it reminds me of sunbathing on freshly cut grass. Edited August 2, 2008 by Shollin
fixed BPAL tags --Shollin

[Acedia]

I first got this imp about six months ago, and put it away after one sniff -- too herby and prickly. But, boy, am I glad I gave it another try today.

 

At first application, it's all green plants and herbs -- I don't smell the ginger or fig. But after a while, it becomes slightly sweeter as it ages on my skin (maybe that's the ginger) and always very clean and fresh. It's unisex, too.

 

I'd even say it smells kind of....magical. Maybe like an apothecary in a medieval town that sells folk remedies and maybe a few more potent charms in the back, or maybe even like someone otherwordly. (I'd have to say that the Apothecary smells more like my idea of a fairy than Dana O'Shee or Fae.)

[gingiemay]

Wet in imp - Definitely get the green tea and some other herbal scents. No Moss, ginger or fig.

 

Wet on skin - More herbal scent, blending nicely with the green tea.

 

Dry on skin - Green tea, faint herbal underlay, a touch of ginger. No moss. Very tasty smelling, but similar to an existing cologne I have, so I'll just keep this imp for future reference.

[Suu4LC]

Fresh fresh fresh green scent. Kind of an herbal tea concoction. Pleasant, but I'm not sure this will be me-a little too soapy and I have the feeling this might go to powder on my skin.

 

Gah, on my skin REALLY strong herbal tree and GRASS. I am not a fan of grassy scents at all. This is way stronger than I thought it would be! It (thankfully) calms down, and ends up as a kind of grassy soap smell. Kind of like expensive perfumed herbal/green scented soap. Like it would be the handsoap in a rich person's bathroom. Not for me!

[Emera]

One of several generous frimps from a recent decant circle order that I placed...

IN THE IMP: Pungent, juicy lemon, possibly white grapefruit, a touch of ginger.

ON SKIN: The lemon is the most true-to-life lemon I've ever smelt – I can imagine the feel of biting into a slice so clearly while smelling it. No tea, as usual (alas), nor any fig that I can pick out, but there's plenty of other Green Stuff there to make up for it: grass, sage, probably lavender, crumbly-spicy mosses… Ginger is no longer terribly evident. This is beautifully well-blended, making it difficult to sort out the general bouquet of dry herbs and spices at the bottom of it.

This is the first herbal/fresh scent that I've actually found weirdly, uh, yummy – I think it's because the others that I've tried, including Envy, Shanghai, and Embalming Fluid, don't have much in the way of grounding notes, while Apothecary has much more body to it, thanks to the spices. It makes me want to eat sorbet or ginger snaps, preferably both.

LATER: The same as above; herbal/fresh scents rarely morph on me. Pure, comforting, and refreshing. Love love love.

 

SUMMARY: Fresh lemon, grass, and green herbs over delicate, dry spices and mosses. It smells absolutely like an apothecary's shop. Medium-strong throw.

[caffinatedangel]

I got this as a whim in a swap trade. I figured it was worth a try, and didn't list any notes I really despise (florals, for one. Though I was weary if it may border it.)

 

In the imp: I woke up, and after all my morning routine I sat down and tried on a new imp. This woke me right up! So refreshing. Screw coffee, I'm going to sniff The Apothecary in the mornings. Lemon zest, mint, it's just beautiful. I imagine there's lemongrass in this.

 

Wet on skin: Less zest than the imp (that's how it always seems to go) but still gorgeous and beautiful. Like I was cutting up lemons for a nice refreshing beer later. (thats right.)

 

Dry on skin: As it wears, it's threatening to get a little soapy. But even if it does get soapy, I'll still love it. It'll be some of the best smelling soap ever. In fact, I'm contemplating making it into soap... lol

 

the lemon is the most prominent, but I think that's because this minty hint I'm also getting helps lemon along. There is a sweetness to it as well that softens the lemon from being pledge, which I'll credit to the fig. It's also very green, but not in a twiggy way. In a fresh-cut grass kind of way. This is a PERFECT summer scent, and as the days get muggier and muggier this week in Ohio. I couldn't have asked for a better time to get this imp.

 

I'm not detecting Tea, but I think it's blending with moss and grass to just make an overall green smell. I get ginger, which is probably spicing up the herbal notes to lemon-proportions. I also get fig, which is sweetening the mix. Yum.

 

My sister also adores lighter scents like this, so I may have to snatch a bottle and decant a few imps for her as well. Hmm, maybe just multiple bottles.

 

Overall: Yum. Juicy, tangy, fresh, slightly sweet, summer-green. This is lemonade on the porch at midday in the summer with a crispy chill breeze sliding past to revive you. It's love. Has moderate throw, and lasting power leaves a little to be desired. It starts to get more and more soapy as it ages, so re-applications may be required.

 

Love this stuff.

Edited August 28, 2008 by CaffinatedAngel

[cemeterypolka]

in the imp: Vicks Vapo Rub. Uh oh.

 

on my skin: Still heavy on the eucalyptus, but I also smell moss and frankinsence.

 

dry: Herbal in a medicinal way, with a pleasantly dirty incense edge. I think of this as being foresty and faintly witchy, but I feel like if I wear it out, people will think I'm wearing some kind of medicated cream, and that is not the desired effect.

 

Rating: 4/5 for the oil burner, 3/5 for my skin. I want my room to smell like this, but I'm not sure I want my skin to.

[plunderparlour]

on wet this is very green citrus grass. fresh and clean.

dry lemon, tea and still some green herbal notes. there are some other notes in there that i can't tell apart. I really love this scent.

[ReikoSazanami]

In imp: Green and fresh with something sweet hidden within.

 

Wet on skin: Yikes, it’s starting to smell like window cleaner or some other chemical! I’m not getting green grass or tea at all, just something highly artificial. As it dries, something else is surfacing and taking away the chemical bite. Though thinking on it, that ginger or fig could be to blame for my impressions of cleaners.

 

Drydown: Like in the imp, it is green and sweet with a pleasant mustiness underneath. The throw seems fairly weak, good for when I need a light scent, but it stays so close to the skin that I barely notice it.

 

Overall: It’s a nice fresh and clean scent, but not quite up my alley. I need something a little less light and airy, and the herbal notes are hardly there in my case. I smell a bit like soap, actually. A pleasant green, but not what I’m looking for.

[mgrazulis]

In the imp: lots of fresh grass, mossy herbs and ginger

 

Wet: the green tea note blooms, softening the grass

 

Dry: The fig is out with the ginger and tea, the grass is way underneath mellowed by an herbally cool note. This is so fresh and light! As it dries further, the ginger and green tea linger, the moss shifts back and forth.

 

Subtle and light...wonderful for any day when you fancy a clean refreshing scent. It does remind me of an herbalist shop, where the aroma of drying herbs permeates the atomosphere.

[obsidienne]

The Apothecary

 

This was a frimp from the Lab, and am I ever thrilled! It was on my wishlist as a “curiosity scent”.

 

In the imp:

At first, this smelled strongly herby, pungent and grassy, a hint musty, almost like a cleaner gone bad. Not super appealing, but it was intriguing and did scream “apothecary”!

 

On skin, wet:

Well, I spilled this all over my arm. Half an imp gone! D’OH. And… wow. I was terrified that I’d smell like cleaner for the rest of the day, but that’s not the case at all. Once it hit my skin, almost immediately the scent that rose around me (liberally) morphed from pungent to bright green, delicately sweet, citrus.

 

Uplifting. The bright, slightly herbal notes must be the grass and moss, and although I can’t really define the herbs, I think I detect lemongrass. The rest of the sweetness is probably partly the fig? I wish my nose was educated enough to figure out the rest of the notes.

 

Drydown:

It’s still sweet and green, with a bit of fizz, thanks to the ginger. I believe that the fig grounds it and keeps it from buzzing in my nose; instead, it’s like a green champagne.

 

That said, a slightly soapy smell has started to develop (and maybe it’s due to the fact that I'm wearing half an imp). I can still smell the moss and ginger and sometimes, the fig (probably only because I was eating them yesterday and the smell is fresh in my mind). Every now and then a bubbly swirl of bright springtime green catches at my nose.

 

Dry:

 

Update one: A couple of hours later, the soap has become unmistakable. And annoying. It's green soap. Where did the fizz and the play of scents go?

Update two: Several hours later, and even after an attempt to wash it off, it's not just soap, it's Pledge! I can't wait to go to the gym later so that I have an excuse to shower again -- I am that nauseated. My nose feels raped.

 

Hard to believe it went from green champagne to soap. Oh well.

 

Throw: No idea what it’s like in normal use, as I’ve got so much on me that it’s very strong.

Edited October 4, 2008 by obsidienne

[femmefatale]

hmmm....this reminds me a lot of a green tea perfume I used to have, just a bit more complex. I'm not getting much of the ginger and fig. It's very green smelling and I',m happy to say this is one scent where the green tea doesn't take over.

I think this would be a beautiful summer scent or when I just need something bright and happy.

[annerqm]

In the imp: Herbal, medicinal and I swear I can smell eucalyptus.

 

Wet on skin: Still very sharp and herbal. Still has a faint eucalyptus scent and I definitely smell lavender, perhaps a bit of rosemary, the tiniest touch of one of the mints, and something very faintly citrus. I’m having a difficult time detecting the fig or ginger…

 

Drying: Hmmm, it’s changing quickly – much sweeter than I expected. Smells like an herbal or Earl Grey tea, but with a touch of honey or sugar added…there’s also the very slightest, tiniest hint of creaminess. It’s much smoother than when wet.

 

It’s faint and difficult to detect unless I get my nose right up next to my skin.

 

Dry: The perfect cup of smooth, lightly sweetened Earl Grey tea or other lightly herbal tea.

 

It’s very nice, but not something I’d probably wear much. To my nose, it smells so exactly much like brewed herbal tea, and for whatever reason, that is not appealing as a fragrance for me to wear. I think I’d like this a lot on a man, and it would be very nice on linens or as a home scent, esp. in the summer.

[Schmoozy]

This was one of those first scents I fell in love with. One those scents that had me falling in love with BPAL.

A stunning combination of green grass and moss decorated with fig and ginger.

The tea leaf is prominent at the beginning, but after initial drydown, this is all green and very herbally.

The green of the grass is lush and feels wet. The moss is spongey. The spice of ginger mingling with lavender, and eucalyptus is magical

[Iceblink]

Very sweet and citrusy when wet, then drying down into a lovely, calming herbal tea. I smell a bit of fig in there too. I'm not really one for tea scents but this is a nice one.

[MCS4096]

I got this as a frimp, and before I even looked up the notes, I could tell from an imp sniff that it was tea and fruit of some kind, because it smells JUST like a "white tea and current" candle I used to have

 

In the Imp: I smell strong fruity figs with a touch of green grass (which I generally hate, but it really works here) and the bite of tea. Beautiful!

 

Wet: Primarily tea and grass with a subtlety that must be ginger, but still very sweet

 

Dry: Oh man, where to start? I find this one pretty complex.. I get a bergamot aspect, but definitely sweeter. It's tea leaves sweetened with candied figs and a hint of ginger (NOT like what's in your spice cabinet!) and the grass gives it the slightest green tang. I don't find any one note predominating on my skin. Smells delicious.. almost edible, but not even close to a traditional foody scent.

 

Overall: It doesn't really bring to mind an apothecary to me.. it's much too light and sweet. That said, this scent is amazing! It's clean and crisp, but warm.. a 5 mL bottle will be mine. It'll be wonderful in an oil burner in addition to as a perfume!

[cymbeline]

Swap test!

 

Smell alike: Kenzo pluie d’été ?

 

Color impression: Chilly yellow and fresh blue green

 

On me: fresh green tea attack! Very pleasant because the fig sweetened the herbs and moss (I discovered I loved this note!). Too bad it didn’t stay long and that the final scent is a too powdery in the back for my liking

 

Wearing: A bit too soapy on my skin, not really me at all but this one will make a really nice summer/spring scent

[rayvn1]

This is wonderfully fresh and green with the herby, fern scent reminiscent of Caliban. I don't get grass or moss exactly, just something very green and lush.

[themerrybaker]

The Apothecary reminds me a bit of the old Herbal Essences shampoo. It is sharp and astringent in a good, refreshing way. I would wear this when I wanted to feel brisk, as opposed to feminine or sexy. Definitely a win for this tea and herb lover.

[mhickle]

Very herbal in the imp. Exactly what I would expect from a scent named for this character. As it wears, I get more of the tea, and some of the ginger.

 

It sweetens considerably as the day goes on, with the fig softening the herbal greeniness. I am actually very curious to see what this would smell like on my husband, as it seems like an interesting unisex scent!

[kjirstiben]

Green, green, green! An initial grassy note smelled in the bottle fades, on my skin, into the overall herbal greenness of the scent.

 

As it dries down, it seems somewhat soap-like, and I'm concerned that it may bring on headaches

 

Over time, the scent becomes powdery-greeny, and doesn't (as I feared) take on the burnt-grass smell that I get from so many "green" scents.

 

This would be a good herbal for a summertime scent, when you want the cool scents of greens around you.

[llhorian]

It's light and soft and herbal and slightly reminds me of the contemplativeness and cleanness of Meditation in Autumn. It's fresh, almost citrusy, which might be due to the ginger. Later on it becomes a drier scent of dry leaves and moss.

 

I truly adore this scent. It just completely fits me, as if it were made for me. Really a good one for a signature scent. There's only one slight which is that after not long a time I can't smell it anymore. Whether it's faded entirely or just beyond my conscious notice I don't know, but I really want to smell this for far longer. I shall try a more generous application next time.

[Lyrical]

 

In vial: green and herbal, with the freshness of tea and the roundness of fig.

 

Wet on skin: a soft, dark green cologne, with a hint of sharpness. A muted woody note begins to emerge - fig? The sharpness evaporates. I don't know about an apothecary, but this makes me think of a mysterious forest, deep, shadowy and green.

 

Dry on skin: soft, green and woody.

[undream]

this was the one oil i finally grabbed to try (from my small pile of "to try" imps that have collected in my bpal box) after weeks after putting bpal on the back burner. i know, i know:

 

i put it on without looking it up, without having any idea of what notes were in it or what to expect whatsoever other than what the name might conjure. i find that i am better able to review honestly and without power of suggestion in this way.

 

my first impression was of an aquatic nature; very wet, but warm, and very comforting. once on the skin, it bloomed into a sweet, almost powdery scent, with a peculiar - and extremely subtle - sour note underneath (i am suspecting this is the citrus that comes out later). after about twenty minutes - the typical time it takes bpal scents to really morph on me - the lemon came out, turning it into a kind of lemon meringue with an aquatic bite. another ten minutes, and i am thinking, "soap!!!"

 

very nice, and the throw is absolutely lovely, but ultimately not me.

 

off to the "to be placed in a better home" pile!

[milica]

this is one tea scent that I like, herbal tea with just a touch of fig and ginger, and I can almost smell something salty, something aquatic. unusual, but it works together!