Omen

[Janie]

Deep, mysterious, and full of dark portents: oakmoss, juniper berry, myrrh and patchouli.

A frimp from the Lab. Thanks Labbies. : )

Dark and foreboding, this one. The earthy dark notes anchor it. Patchouli is a major player. The drydown has a medicinal, astringent feel to it. It's interesting, It is not an other-worldly scent, it is more an underworldly scent. There is almost something subterranean about it.

Very little sillage - stays close to home. Reasonable lasting power - I can JUST smell it 8 hours later.

Interesting. Edited November 2, 2005 by Shollin

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Patchouli and juniper.

 

First on: Almost floral O_o (this is nothing on me like it was on my husband). I'm getting a dusty floral with a hint of juniper.

 

After a bit: Ahh ok, I can now smell the patchouli lurking ever so faintly around the edges of this. But I'm still getting a dusty floral with hints of juniper, but now it has an edge of sourness to it.

 

A bit more: It's become more dusty and earthy smelling, but the combo is still screaming floral (like tea rose) for some bizarre reason, I'm guessing it's the combo of juniper and myrrh on me.

 

My husband really likes this on him, I don't find it offensive on me, but not something I'd ever wear, we'll see if he gets to keep it (it's mostly patchouli on him which I can't stand).

[Northernminx]

Oakmoss and Juniper berry are the notes that come out strongest in this, a somewhat sweet woodsy scent with a touch of dark mystery. I actually really like this more than I anticipated I would though I can't see wearing it often. There's a certain reassurance in the richness of it, as well as a certain something unplacable.

[dcmo]

This is an earthy, grounding, green scent, but also feels clean which suprises me. I didn't expect to like this one from the ingredients listed. It's nice, but not a favorite. I'm mostly getting the patchouli and myrrh with a slight wood scent underneath..no moss or roses on me.

[PennyPretty]

The juniper berry jumped out at me right away followed by the myyrh. Omen seems very masculine, incense with a touch of alchoholic sweetness. I think this would be very sexy on a man or a room fragrance for your boudoir!

[olympia301]

At first I smelled an evergreen scent sort of like cypress or yew. Then it morphs into a real basic aromatherapy type of medicine blend. There isn't anything sweet about this one, it's all business. Real astringent and earthy, it's one of the performance art types of scent that the lab does well. I feel pretty anxious when I put this one on. Who knows, maybe the lab managed to bottle fear. Great for Halloween or if you are out to intimidate someone who's bigger than you are.

[Miss Lynx]

Very, very dark and earthy, but with just a hint of spice from the juniper. When I first put it on, the patchouli seemed to dominate and I didn't like it so much - I like patchouli as part of a well-balance blend, but not when it takes over and becomes the only thing you smell.

 

But as it dried down, the patchouli started behaving itself, playing well with others the way I like it to, instead of being the playground bully. The oakmoss began to shine through, with that warm, resinous, earthy/sexy scent that I so love about oakmoss, the juniper asserted itself a bit - though I'd have liked more of that - and there was a sort of dusty dryness from the myrrh overlaid over everything. Interesting stuff. My wife compared it to decaying autumn leaves mixed with amber and spice (oakmoss can sometimes smell a bit like very dark amber).

 

After a couple hours of settling in, the scent that stayed for the long haul was predominantly oakmoss with a touch of juniper. Quite nice, though given that it took a while to get there I don't know if it's really going to become a top favourite. But I would definitely wear it when I want to feel earthy and grounded.

 

Overall, I think that I like my earthy scents to have just a little more lift to them than this - something a bit lighter in the mix to leaven them a bit. The juniper tries to do that in this blend, but doesn't quite get there. Still, it's a nice one, and would be great for any sort of earth elemental workings.

Edited August 9, 2005 by Miss Lynx

[valentina]

In the imp: Patchouli/myrrh with some green undertones. It was the first one of the imps I sampled when I got my lab order, because I loved the smell so much.

 

Upon application: Went powdery on me right away. I am concerned.

 

Dry-down: Still powdery and I check to see its component parts, for I could swear that I'm smelling sandalwood. But it is in fact the myrrh that is blowing up all over the place.

 

One hour later: The blast of myrrh blows over and dissapates and leaves behind a nice green, woodsy scent. It smells more like a man's cologne, but it's nice.

 

4 hours later: The green, woodsy scent is still there and the patchouli begins to make an appearance as a spicy background element accenting the oakmoss and juniper.

 

This smells really good on me, but again, it heats up on me in a way that I associate with masculine scents. However, if I'm feeling more butch than femme, I would happily wear it. It might not go on the big bottle list, but I will enjoy this imp.

 

valentina

[tesao]

mmmmmm.

 

the forbidden forest near hogwarts. don't play here, children.

 

evergreen, but without the clean smell i've come to associate with them. there is something dark here, sinister. the shadows hiding behind the huge trees. no sunlight falls from between the tightly knit branches of the ancient, enchanted trees.

 

just reread the scent notes. no idea what oakmoss smells like. myrhh usually hates me, so i'm guessing that there is more patchouli than myrhh. and once again, i find i'm partial to gender neutral scents.

 

this is really lovely. yay!

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression:

To me this is a real clean and masculine scent. There is a dark note that I can't place but it only adds to the mystique of the scent. It is quite appealing and the main note that I can detect is either oak moss or juniper. It screams earthy at me and I would love it on a man. This is a very mature and grown up scent. Don't play with this little boys. My scale of 1-5... 4

[lookingglass]

For some reason this is smelling to me a bit like nemesis without the fruit, which is odd, because I don't know of any notes they share. It is very earthy/chypre...masculine. Like a dark cave where no one can find me...

[Little Bird]

Edit to review the 2016 version of this.

I'm not getting juniper berry or patchouli from this anymore. I do get a lovely, sweet myrrh and a dusty, sour, sharp oakmoss. The oakmoss takes over in the drydown, unfortunately. I also keep smelling something that reminds me of bpal's "dusty clove" note. A strangely spicy, dry, dusty/powdery moss with an edge of soapiness. Smells like an old fashioned aldehyde and chypre moss.

Too powdery, too dry, too sour, too soapy... warm and stuffy, old smelling fragrance...

Edited June 7, 2016 by Little Bird

[kettu]

In Vial: warm, dry, with an almost astringent note

 

On Skin: warm and dry over moist mossy earth; earthen home with a fire burning in the hearth... November leaves piling up just outside the front door, but I'm cozy inside with woolen socks and rugs on terracotta-tiled floors.

 

Long-lasting.

 

Definitely a winner for me. It just exudes dry warmth and coziness. A perfect autumnal-verging on winter scent.

 

p.s. someone else here mentioned that this smells like a non-fruity Nemesis. I smelled this before I smelled Nemesis and thought of Nemesis that it smelled like a fruity Omen!

[LiberAmoris]

I am really surprised by how much I like Omen. It was a freebie from the Lab---thanks y'all! And I can't believe I've never gotten around to trying it before, as I love patchouli and the Lab's patchouli blends are fab.

 

This is definitely a forest bordering on the sea type of blend for me---mossy dirt and trees from the patchouli and juniper, and a tang from the myrrh that reminds me of sea air. There's something almost bracken-ish about it, like water on fallen, decaying leaves. When it dries down it's mostly oakmoss and cedar on my skin, but it's tremendously grounding. Very nice. Somehow it reminds me of late fall, so my imp will be perfect for the upcoming months.

[aidenraine]

This delicious blend only has two pages of reviews? Well, that's a sin, to be sure!

 

Initially it smells to me like a leafy green patchouli blend combined with pine, a faint pine. It's musky and earthy, not too sweet.

 

The drydown is less patchouli and a bit more pine, unfortunately. I liked the wet stage a bit more. Omen is more comforting than most earthy/woodsy blends. It seems warmer somehow.

The oakmoss must be the "green forest", the juniper berry the vageuly Christmasy undertone. The myrh+patchouli is what makes me love this.

 

A solid blend of scents. Not amazing, but a really solid, good aroma. I'll be using this imp.

[pekeana]

Omen hits my skin with an odd lemon verbena note that sticks around, but is quickly overshadowed by juniper and patchouli... strong patchouli... knock you over with a dead hippie's Birkenstocks patchouli.

 

I pass, thank you -- I pass out from dead hippie.

[keltic]

this was a frimp from the lab! wheee!

 

In the imp – mmmm, green! The juniper berry, and what must be the oakmoss comes through for that seep green scent I like so much – similar to Black Forest, but closer to beloved Allegory. Oh, goody!

 

Wet – all juniper pop and very strong, so I’m glad I only do a sparing amount on my wrist. But this is promising. Greeny goodness on a cold and wet day.

 

Dry down – my eyes are watering. It’s patchouli coming out to play, and he’s carrying a very Big Stock to let me know I’m wearing a V. Strong Scent. I'm going to make a note to be very careful around patchouli.

 

Dry – patchouli and his Big Stick is now having a fight with myrrh and his Big Stick. I’m now in my car, rolling down my windows in 40 degree weather to try and avoid a headache. I’m also worried since the two of these warring Sticks are giving this thing such throw that I’m in danger of offending any one I come within 50 feet of. My lovely juniper berry has been crushed and squashed, and the oakmoss never had a chance with these two bullies banging about. Oh, such promise lost in a war. Sadly, this imp will head to the swap pile.

 

24 hours later – my skin may no longer carry the scars of a battlefield, but my car still has the scent of patchouli and myrrh going at it. That’s some pretty heady throw going on for a very light dab!

[pinkpoodle]

I'm having a hard time picking out the individual notes in Omen. It's very refreshing, light, and clean on my skin. It smells a little like rose water with a subtle cedar-like, pine aroma. I put it on after taking a long, hot bath and I feel so soothed and relaxed now.

[allikat]

In the bottle: It starts out a little sharp, then gets a kind of earthy smell to it.

 

Wet: Wet, dirty leaves. Slightly incense-y. My guess is that this is the juniper I'm smelling.

 

Dry: On initial drydown, the juniper got much sharper, but about ten minutes later, it's mellowing. Greenery, softened by an underlying scent of earth and dirt. The longer it dries, the more the earth scent comes out. This is very much like walking through an old forest, with green trees and decomposing leaves underfoot. A very interesting scent, but a bit too masculine for me, I think.

[stardreamer]

Normally I stay far away from patchouli, but a sniff of this at a swapfest seemed promising enough to swap for it. Fresh on, it's very woody, with a smoky/incense note underneath; a little on the masculine side, but not enough to make me uncomfortable. I get a lot of juniper and something that seems like pine. Over time, the juniper fades and the piney note gets stronger, but there's still enough incense to keep it from turning into Pine-Sol. As usual with incense notes on me, that one is the last to fade, and after 7 or 8 hours is all that's left. This one isn't going to be a top favorite, but I think it's a keeper; it's a nice darker scent for chilly winter days.

[Nachtwulf]

I got this as a whim of trade... none of the notes, just from the list, spoke to me, but I figured since I was getting Ouija too, why not?

 

Wow. I'm so glad I did.

 

In the bottle, it's fairly light, actually, with a woody sort of scent that most people have remarked on. I don't get 'earth' from it, which is good because the 'dirt/loam' scent Beth uses inevitably goes sour/rancid on me.

 

As soon as it hits skin, though, it explodes into something entirely else. I don't get rose. Hell, I don't seem to get -any- of the notes listed. It smells of smoke, to me, of carved pine (the fresh wood, not crushed needles) and resins, and the dusky pall of incense. The throw is /amazing/, and even more resinous than simply arm-sniffing... if there was a scent for a dark Renaissance Festival, this would be it, in a small glass bottle.

 

I normally don't like patchouli scents, since I instinctively think 'hippie stink', but.... damn, this is sexy. I can only imagine what it'd smell like on a guy. (But thankfully, it is not ManSmell... not too masculine for me to wear!)

 

Must. Have. Bottle.

[AngellicMystique]

This went heavy on me. It quickly became an old-fashioned, insanely-heavy perfume. I think the myrrh and patchouli instantly made me smell like I bathed in incense, and not the good stuff.

[brownbear]

wow, I guess I like myrrh. It seems every one I try with that as a note, I like. The juniper, oakmoss, myrrh, and patchouli all blend very well together. Nothing jumps out too much. Not sure how much I'll actually wear it, but it is really such a nice blend. It is a little bit foresty, but not overly green. This would probably smell good on a guy too.

[tinyvulture]

when i first apply this, it smells like a traditional men’s cologne. the bright juniper notes stand out and then the sweet myrrh and the patchouli come out as it dries. but the oakmoss doesn’t do it for me – it makes it a bit too “earthy” and subdues the patchouli. it seems to take away from the vibrancy of the other notes, which is disappointing.

[PurringPulsar]

Omen

 

In the imp: patchouli, piercing juniper, and possibly some sweet myrrh.

Wet on skin: ooh, not bad! This is a sweet, dark, and very earthy scent.

Dry: I like this. This scent is very earthy and shadowy, though the juniper adds a touch of something bright and piercing. The myrrh is really nice in this-I think that’s what’s adding the dark sweetness to the whole scent and of course, there’s the patchouli which, in this, is quite lovely but not too obvious.

After a while: this gets better! There’s a definite shadowed sweetness to the scent now, it’s much stronger than when just dry. I think it’s the myrrh causing this-I really like it. Seems patchouli and myrrh make for a very nice combination-I can smell the remnants of the juniper simmering underneath it all…there’s a strange (but very pleasant) dark effervescence here. I also get more moss now, at this point. If this scent has a colour, it would be a muddy, swirling brown. Quite similar to the oil’s actual colour.

After about 2 hours, I can really make out the myrrh more than ever-that wonderful deep resin scent which, at this point, starts to develop a smokiness. Along with the dark patchouli, the juniper and moss now add a ‘night time forest’ background to the overall fragrance. I find this scent very grounding and I think it would make an amazing incense scent, as it smells a bit like incense on me at times.

Verdict: this is a deep, earthy scent-it’s slightly dirty (in a good way, as in earthy dirt) in scent, but also with sweetness. There’s a sense of mystery in this scent, of darkness and shadows and incense smoke, all the notes mix nicely in this scent-the earthy patchouli and oak moss, the smoky, resinous myrrh and also a nice piercing juniper note. It all gets sweeter and more balanced upon drydown, the scent improves nicely. I like this, but I’m not sure if I need more. I’m keeping the imp though, and I think it would make a lovely room scent, or incense.