The Apothecary

[sarada]

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

This is a positively lovely scent that I have been enjoying for many months in the imp, but unfortunately when I apply it, it vanishes almost instantly! The pale green tea is so appealing and I always enjoy coming back to it to sniff in the imp, but as soon as it touches skin...alas, there is nothing there. I have very fair skin but it does tend to eat up anything that is light and airy, in the white/yellow/pale green family of scents. I think this would be absolutely stunning as a scent in a shampoo, or a lotion or shower gel and perhaps if I get some more I will try to put it in an unscented bottle to try out. It is similar to some green tea aromatherapy blends I have come across but far superior, of course...and the mosses give it an earthy edge that is unusual in an otherwise crystalline, ethereal blend of early spring greenery and tender shoots.

[pekeana]

In the vial, this is a clear, crisp scent. On me, it's lemon verbena soap with a shot-through of fig that only comes up once in a while. That's all she wrote.

[sh1mm3r]

In the bottle - it smelled really green, mossy and grassy. Lovely!

 

Wet - wow, sharp ginger right at the beginning, then really lemony.

 

Dry - so, so sad. Lemon furniture polish. Lemon verbena. All lemon twang with no depth.

 

This is the second fig scent that just hasn't worked out, but I don't think the fig is at fault here.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Very, very herbal, though I can't identify individual herbs. I can also smell a bit of fig in the background, and some spiciness that the ginger is more than likely responsible for.

 

Wearing: Wow, fig! That's definitely the dominant note here. The grass comes out a bit, but it's a muted, sweeter grass rather than sharp and bright. After wearing for a while, the oakmoss comes out, which I can smell most strongly wafting up to my nose rather than sniffing directly. The blend is very green--a darker shade of olive or hunter green, maybe.

 

Later on, however, it becomes considerably powdery, which turns me off a bit. And I was liking it so much, too. I'll probably keep the imp, but not buy a big bottle.

 

ETA: What's this? The more I wear it, the less powdery it gets, and a nice woodsy scent of all things mingles with the moss and fig. Lovely!

 

Another edit: Because I'm redundant.

Edited February 8, 2005 by voodoobaby

[fairywingmaker]

This is one of the few really green scents that is going to work with me, and I'm so happy! Want a light spring scent, well this is the one. Soft tea leaf, and green grass is what I smell at first. The gingery herbal smell sits softly behind the greener scents. Oh my gosh, I really love this!

[silverangel]

Sweet from the herbs and tea and very clean with all of the green notes. This is light, a spring day after the rain has dried kind of scent. I don't usually like scents that are all wide open spaces kind of scents but I adore this. it's just beautiful, fields and woods that I miss exploring.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on my skin- smells very fresh and slightly fruity, almost like cotton blossom. It also smells more like traditional perfume than any other BPAL I've tried. It's a nice scent, but a hard one to describe.

 

As I'm wearing the floral fades and it transitions to a lemon and herbs sort of scent. The lemon is basically peeking through what is essentially an herbal scent. It finally works its way into a fresh lemon and tea scent, which is what it's like for most of the duration. The scents blend well and the lemon isn't too sharp or strong. Nice.

 

Like others have said, this is a summer scent. I can almost feel a fresh breeze when I sniff it. I'm trying to decide on a bottle to order for a summer scent, and this is definitely a contender (as are Baobhan Sith and a few others).

[Rheliwen]

Wet:

 

This one smelled very floral at first. I was puzzled over this since there are no florals in it. I soon discovered that it was the tart ginger creating it.

 

Dry:

 

As it started to dry, I could definitely smell the green grasses and tea. The fig is rounding out the blend and combined with the ginger, is making it very juicy and tart...almost lemony. Thankfully, the lemon scent does diminish over time. I'm now left with green tea with a spike of ginger. It's more green tea ice cream mochi balls than actual green tea.

 

Verdict:

 

I almost see The Apothecary as Sudha Segara's sister. I'm thinking it's the ginger in each that makes them similar to my nose. While Sudha Segara is bright lemony yellow, The Apothecary is sweet grass green. Sudha was way too citrus tart for me, and I find The Apothecary is giving me the same qualities I liked in Sudha Segara, but in a much more rounded, softer blend. What a great scent to wear for Spring!

[evanesce]

On me, this smells like walking into a room where someone is making large amounts of tea on a spring day just after it's rained, with the windows all open. Its gloomy, but in a comfortable kind of way.

 

I think I'll be saving this imp for those rainy days off when I stay at home and read.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Oh that lovely tea note that I love about Dorian.

 

Second Impression: I can't believe that it took me so long to try this. It's amped up Sudha Segara, it's gorgeous tea, it's faintly figgy and just gorgeous.

 

Final Analysis: I have tried every scent in the Illyria collection. This was the last one. I love it. I want a big bottle of this for slathering!

[feline.by.design]

I ordered The Apothecary with the last received order as an imp. I may have to get a big bottle soon.

 

The Apothecary is a very clean fragrance. I am reminded of the BPAL Tarot Oil The Hermit, as both are similar, but I think The Apothecary is brighter and more floral. It's like sunflowers or dandelions, yet there is an herbal kick to it that keeps the fragrance green and gender neutral. The tea is in the background, undulating silently.

 

This is a gorgeously clean smell. This seems like what bed linens and hotel pillows should smell like: brightly clean. The Apothecary would be a lovely one for the office or for an interview. It seems to say "well-groomed, fastidious, mildly playful, polite." Man, if I could trick people into thinking this about me, it would so rock!

 

Although it's clean, herbal, tea and all that jazz, the small swab of the imp wand is really noticable. This isn't a meek oil that one really has to kind of push the nose to the skin to smell.

 

Definitely one for the big bottle list. Definitely. I'm somewhat peeved with myself for not trying this sooner.

 

-doreen

[bellis]

This was very herby and green in the imp, with the ginger making it tart enough that I feared briefly that I was going to have a lemon-Pledge sort of reaction to it. As soon as I put it on, however, it deepened and developed the complexity other reviews have mentioned. This is amazing; tea and sweet grass and the absolutely gorgeous fig that I wished there was more of in Nemesis. There are so many layers to this scent, I feel like I'm poking around in some teeny, slightly dusty Victorian living room with a nice warm cup of tea discovering that my host has led a surprisingly adventurous life. I want a HUGE bottle of this to slather!

[anmorata]

The Apothecary:

 

Wet: it's so sweet, it's almost floral in the imp, in a newly-sprouted-flower kind of way. Upon application, it fades into a very, very green scent. I can definitely smell the tea and the mosses. Green, but not too woodsy on me. Quite nice!

[inbigtrouble]

This oil had never jumped out at me as something I might like from reading the lab's description. I got it as a freebie in my Spooky order. I am almost certain that I will order a large bottle with my next order. I love it!

 

Wet, I smell the cool, slightly bitter green tea very strongly and I also think that I smell some cucumber, but I could be imagining it. Maybe it is just the overall gree, coolness that gives me the cucumber impression?

 

As it dries down, I am left with the green coolness, but the lovely, sparkling citrus note comes through more clearly. I don't think it is grapefruit; nothing quite that "in your face." More like a subtle lemon/lime smell.

 

This is going to be a summer staple for me, I think. Perfect for those "too hot to move" days. I am in love!

 

ADDED April 29:

 

The Apothecary could definitely be a Spring/Summer favorite for me! It is *the* greenest of light greens. Wet, I get very strong grass (what I would deem "sweet" grass; no real bitterness to my nose), lime, and a hint of light floral. As it dries, I lose the grass and some of the citrus and the floral abounds, but not in an overwhelming, heavy way.

 

It's funny, because this is not really what I picture when I hear the word "apothecary." I see test tubes, beakers, shiny wooden counters, and lots of tiny drawers. So, now I see the same picture with tufts of grass strewn here and there!

[shelldoo]

fresh clean, tea, splash of herbs, and a hint of fig to sweeten her up a tad...beautiful

[surf-tormented]

I didn't smell ginger or fig in this, but it is a nice herbal. Fades quickly and not bottleworthy for me. It reminds me of a more minty Yggdrasil.

[oatmealneko]

Vial: Herbal tea.

Wet: Green grass & herbal tea. It smells very green.

Dry: Nope, back to the herbal tea, but with ginger's sharp bite. The ginger becomes less sharp as it dries, but it remains very green. No fig from this one at all.

 

Follows in the same vein as Embalming Fluid - clean, fresh, though a little more sharp. Not sure if I'd buy this in a bigger size, I've tried a few others that are similar (i.e. Empyreal Mist), so I'd have to think about it.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Mossy and herbal with a touch of earthy fruit.

Wearing: My skin just sucks this up, so it is really hard to review this before it fades away. This is sligtly mossy, slightly figgy, and slightly herbal. I never got the ginger.

Final Impressions: This is a very green scent, and it is very nice. if this had any staying power on me at all, I imagine that I would find it very pleasant indeed.

[Essay 28]

In the bottle: fresh, clean herbal scent, with a lemon undertone.

 

On skin initially: It is strongly lemony at first, but not in a bad way. I can also smell the herbal scent, like wildflowers or wild grasses that have just been cut.

 

After an hour: It settles down to a sweetish herbal/floral scent, which reminds me of coming across a wildflower meadow while out hiking last summer. It does fade off very quickly and requires a midday reapplication to maintain any scent by the end of the day.

 

I like it, although it's almost a bit "weak" in scent after getting used to O and Port-au-Prince. A keeper!

[helarctos]

Light lemon and green tea. Normally citrus notes just yell on my skin; this doesn't. In fact, the scent as a whole is very faint on me.

 

Unobjectionable, but not me. I'll pass the imp on to a more loving home.

[matilda]

Wet, The Apothecary is all grass and herbs. There's something very sharp in this which I would assume is the ginger, although I can't actually smell ginger. After about an hour on my skin, the tanginess goes away and I'm left with a faint fresh grass. It's pretty, but not really my bag. A friend of mine, however, upon first sniff exclaimed, "Where has this been all my life?!?!?" So while I won't be buying a bottle for myself, she will be getting one for her upcoming birthday!

[Lucretia]

Very clean, fresh, and green. Along the same vein as empyrial mist and old glasgow to me. Very natural and outdoorsy.

It smells like spring time grasses and moss. Well, now that I think of it, mainly moss. Wet moss. Like holding my face down the ground in a forest. A tiny bit of soapyness.

 

This is my favorite clean scent to date, but I'm not usually looking for a clean scent, so I will just keep my imp and it should last me more than well for when I want to feel fresh and springy in a completly nonfloral way.

[pranashakti]

Wet this is cool, lemony tea on me. Just the right temperature to chug on a hot day - refreshing but not so cold that you can't drink your fill. The fig just barely peeks out, adding a touch of juicy sweetness that makes it irrestistable. This is the kind of scent that feels like it could just float away and take you with it, but the moist! mosses, herbs, and the tiniest bit of ginger serve to ground it on my skin.

 

For me...it's really this: it's late spring and unseasonably hot. Next to my grandmother's house there's a strip of old pavement where moss breaks through - it's my favorite place to read. But now I'm watering the garden on a hot day...and it's always shaded...so I step back into this little path to cool off. Bare feet on green, moist moss with my skin still radiating sunshine...oh, this is how an apocathery's medicine SHOULD smell.

Edited May 11, 2005 by pranashakti

[slave1]

In Bottle: Ozone and grass.

 

On Skin: This smells very fresh! I get an ozone note and the grass stands out. The tea leaf and mosses give it an even more green feel… yes this is a very green scent… with a bit of a blue aquatic note. I love the sweetness of the fig. This isn’t how I’d expect an Apothecary to smell though… Silk Road makes me think of that more. This scent reminds me of summer break by the sea… but on a grassy hill, not the beach.

[OdetteOdile]

The Apothecary

 

A tempered herbal lemony scent (probably that's the ginger - my nose sometimes thinks ginger is a citrus fruit). There's a slight foody-sweetness that must be the fig - or maybe it's the moss. Eventually it settled into a sour lemon drop candy and fresh-crushed grass smell.

I prefer sweet, spicy and creamy scents more, but I'd enthusiastically recommend this to anyone who likes clean, green and unisex scents.