Namaste

[grrrlennyl]

A Sanskrit blessing and word of greeting that bears a powerful symbolism. It represents the Oneness of all of existence, the union of matter and spirit, perfect wholeness. It is accompanied by a gesture: Anjali -- hands pressed together, fingertips heavenward, pressed together over the heart's chakra. This oil blend is a serene, soothing Indian blend, created to bring calm and joy to the heart and peace to the spirit. Sandalwood, jasmine, rose, patchouli, cedarwood and lemongrass.

at first: not sure. smells a bit like generic perfume. i think it's because there are so many things in it. i'll need to wear this one to figure it out.

on: hmmm...very strong. i'm smelling just straight-up perfume, kind of masculine. i can't really pick out any individual notes. i'm hoping this was calms down A LOT (like vice and three jacks did on me) because it's a bit too in-your-face right now.

2 hours later: not strong anymore, which is cool. definitely more subtle. smells a bit masculine still...i think it's the sandalwood and the cedarwood. i don't think i like this one. i'll give it another hour...

4 hours later: not strong at all.

overall: i probably wouldn't buy this again. i didn't like how this developed on my skin. i bought it more for the name than the ingredients, which was a definite mistake.

[allamanda]

wow!! Gorgeous in the bottle and when first applied. Unusually for me I can immediately detect most of the different scents. Patchouli first, then lemon, then cedar, rose and jasmine. Sandalwood seems to be there as a backdrop as it is drying. This just smells so intense and complex. So far I love it. Getting slightly peppery now, maybe the sherbet lemon effect. Dries out to a spicy lemon, very nice. Slight reservation as it really does smell like curry to me.

 

Since my original review above I have discovered this is a superb oil for burning. I don't like it on my skin, but in the burner it is warm, eastern and really lovely.

[ipb]

i like this scent, rather calming

but it's one i'm going to have to bond with more to describe

[viciousviolet]

This Christmas I bought sample vials of Namaste for all the people in my weekly yoga class. When you find something you love, you just have to share! This is such a wonderful blend for meditation and relaxation, yet it is neither bland nor dull as that may imply. I love the scent of sandalwood, and this is a wonderful sandalwood blend, with a little bit of exotic spice and a hint of Indian floral. The scent of an Eastern temple, perhaps, or the scent of incense settling on the saffron robes of a Buddhist monk.

[blackrayne]

When I first smelled this from the vial, I didn't like it too much...wearing it is a completely different story, though! I find this very calming, yet refreshing because of the hint of lemon. Slightly smoky, but slightly more floraly. A perfect blend.

[Imptress]

Mmmmmmmm... jasminey, lemony rose at first. Now that it's been on a bit I'm detecting spiciness/woodiness from the patchouli, cedar and sandalwood. The smell of this reminds me of a lovely candle my husband gave me before we got married that was sold in the Oxfam World Shop where he worked. I love the smell but rarely light it because there is now no way to get another one. I can't wait to try this in the oil warmer to see how it compares to the candle!

[twistygirl]

Tried this one because I heard Howard Stern raving about it on his radio show one morning (it's the only perfume his girlfriend wears) and, love him or hate him, I have heard him talk about how good some women smell and when they say what they're wearing, I always understand when he says he likes a certain smell. It's lovely, there is something a bit unisex about it and generally I don't care for unisex smells, but it's drying down to something very incense-y and more feminine. Not very sweet - must be the lemon, which generally doesn't agree with me - but not so lemony that it would be considered citrusy. Not grabbing me quite as much as some of the others, probably because of the lemon, but I will wear it again. Getting nicer as it dries down more.

[waxing moon]

Such a refined perfume! First on, it smells of lemon-y rose, but then the jasmine develops as the lemon dries, and I am reminded of the ubiqutious clouds of Joy by Jean Patou that seem to envelop the "grande dames" wearing fur coats as they window shop down Michigan Avenue (in Chicago). Instead of the animalic sour undertones of that fragrance (touted as the most expensive in the world when first introduced) Namaste is oh, SO much better because of the round woody base lent by sandalwood and patchouli. This is a perfume for rich fabrics and heels, dining at a restaurant you can't afford, and eating dark chocolate.

[eleventhousand]

Oh, this is lovely. Beautiful jasmine, incense, lemon drops, and that salty undercurrent that really good patchouli imparts.

Edited April 1, 2004 by eleventhousand

[sirensongsouth]

This is good stuff! Its a refreshing lemon-floral with a patchouli base that is complex yet light. I like it a lot and will continue to wear it while the weather is getting warmer and warmer. My only complaint is that it fades rather quickly compared to the other oils I wear, however, reapplying is not such a chore when it smells so nice.

[ambrosia]

Lovely in the bottle, lovely when first applied. But after the first hour I smell like an old lady. Musty, powdery with a hint of sandalwood. Not my cuppa as far as perfume goes, but I'll try oil burning, as Allamanda suggested. Would be nice to anoint candles with, too, most definitely!

Edited June 23, 2004 by ambrosia

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Sweet woods polished glossy and deep with real lemon oil.

 

Second Impression: This scent is very much a contradiction. It's darkness yet light, calming yet uplifting, bracing yet smooth.

 

Final Analysis: While I like the scent, I just don't feel like it smells all that great on me. I will have to try as a room scent and see.

[VelvetSky]

This is a very cool, calming and peaceful kind of scent. I would highly recommend wearing Namaste on days when you feel the need to be calm and centered.

 

Freshly applied, this is all lemon and cedarwood to me. Very crisp. As it dries, I pick up more of the patchouli and the lemongrass which warms up the blend and takes that 'Lemon Pledge' association away. I really don't get the sandalwood until the very end. The patchouli and the sandalwood are very grounding to this scent, saving it from being overly-bright and citrusy. The final drydown is actually quite woody on my skin.

 

The smell of lemon has been done to death in our society I believe, but Beth uses it in many of her blends as more of an accent to the woody/resins than a main note. Namaste is fresh without being cliche. Really nice.

[summer]

Just beautiful. I'm afraid I can't describe this one very well, but on me it is incency, calming, and just exactly right. The sandalwood is tempered by enough floral sweetness to be grounding rather than bitter -- (I usually don't like sandalwood, but here it's perfect). It smells a bit like the book section of this new-age shop called The Phoenix and The Dragon that I used to love to go to as a child. It's the smell of special books, magical gemstones, and intuition. Oh, I keep sniffing my wrist, and I just absolutely love this. This very special oil will be going on my "Must Get a 5ml Bottle" list.

 

P.S. I'm also using it as a room fragrance, and oh my GAWD, it's perfect. This is how I've always wanted my home to smell.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Namaste is very LOUD lemon over a dry wood that makes my nose twitch.

 

Wearing: Ooh! This is more like it. The lemon is still quite prominent, but it’s stopped screaming, and the wood has morphed into the incredibly smooth golden-brown sandalwood that was so lovely in Tushnamatay. It’s gorgeous when wet, but dries to sharp cedar that doesn’t really suit.

 

I’ll have to try layering Tush with Yuki-Onna or another strongish lemon to see if I get the same effect without the cedary drydown, 'cause I do love the wet scent!

[Murron]

Bottle: I smell lemon, Sandal wood.....it smells kind of like my mendhi oil that I used for Henna tattoos....

 

First dab: mmmm , lovely lemon and sandalwood, acn't detect any other notes. I think this one would be good for hot weather...

 

After a few hours: *starts sniffing her arm* it's gone. I can't smell anything of it on my skin anymore I tried this one for two days, and both times, the scent has just vanished of my skin....

 

I would keep this one if it had staying power, because it's a really nice scnet in the beginning, but alas, another one for the swap pile!!

[TheDarkMother]

In the bottle, Namaste is sandlewood and a sweet undertone with a slight acrid, citris tang.

 

On me, wow...I should have guessed...lemons. Lemon candy scent again. Wierd. I don't remember there being anything in the description about lemon verbena. Don't I have enough lemon candy scents? Actually, now that I smell a little more, this lemon candy has a bit of a orange/tangerine scent to it as well. Ok, so I guess it is a little different. I liked the smell in the bottle better.

 

Final verdict: I think I have enough lemon scents, but I love the smell in the bottle. Maybe I can burn it in the insense burner or make it into a linen spray or something.

[asa805]

Oh my oh my oh my. This is glorious!!! im in love and i think this scent just scyrocketed to my top ten, possibly even top 5! Its sooo calming and lovely. Its very feminine and mysterious. It was pouring rain today and i got on the bus soaked with water welled up in my shoes and my pants soaked to my knees but i just sniffed my wrists and i felt FINE!!! and i just got my period so needless to say i shouldnt have been so calm (im not calm by nature either, i stress out far too easily). This is a great year round scent. It has a deep woody base and light fresh lemongrass topnotes. Blend gorgoeous on my skin. ANd i dont even usually liek lemon. It has a very asian/indian vibe to it. Im surprised this one doesnt get better reviews btu its defiantely a keeper for me and most likely soon to be a 5ml purchase. Ahhhhhh

[Nepthys]

Based on the description, I expected to love this. Unfortunately my body chemistry hated it. It smelled nice at first but dried down on me to smell like a rancid floral. I was absolutely baffled. I gave it to my friend who it also didn't work for - she passed it to her daughter, and on her it was absolutely stunning. Scent sure is a funny thing.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I ordered Namaste specifically to wear to yoga class, and it just happened to arrive right before my class today! It was strong, almost overwhelming lemongrass for the first half hour, then the sandalwood and incense notes came out for balance. It's a very strong blend--I managed my first ever head-stand today (thanks to the power of BPAL??) and had it wafting strongly from my wrists up to my confused upside-down head.

 

Namaste is more masculine than I like to wear--it smells like a yogi rather than a yogini. But I want to burn it when I practice at home, because I think it would turn my apartment into a peaceful temple.

[NoirRosaleen]

Well, hel-looooooo, lemongrass! For awhile, that*s all I can smell...then the woods are coming in the back, softening it up...really reminds me of one of the candles at Illuminations in the "relaxing" section. The flowers sneak in after awhile too, mixing among the woods like...flowers among trees, actually. The woods start dominating a bit more after a few minutes, but more like you*ve walked in from a field of lemongrass and are now standing among the trees. So far this is a really nice blend...I*ll check back in a few hours or so.

[helarctos]

The initial scent is a blast of lemon zest. The lemon recedes into light woods, but never really goes away. The wood scents are not sweet on me, at all, so the scent is not cloying once that first shout of lemon fades,

 

It smells like a Hindu monk has been polishing some wooden icons. On me, I am afraid it smells too much like I've been polishing floors.

 

ETA: Now that I've read the other reviews in this thread, I think I ought to note that the floral smells that others have noted aren't coming out in Namaste for me. Just the lemon and the wood.

Edited November 24, 2004 by helarctos

[Fishwomon]

I practice yoga and had high hopes for this scent. Alas, my skin chemistry isn't liking sweet florals. The scent is very strong in the imp and on my skin. The lemongrass was the strongest note when wet. As it dried, I got more of the floral, very little sandalwood, and no patchouli. It smells like expensive old lady perfume on me. I think the reviewer who compared it to Joy is right. My mom is visiting, and she likes it, so I'm giving it to her.

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Floral and earthy/resiny at the same time. I smell rose and sandalwood and lemongrass most strongly and if I inhale deeply enough, I get a hint of patchouli and cedar in the background.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Lemongrass is the most prominent note for me, followed by sandalwood and rose. It's not aggressively citrusy the way lemon normally is, but it's still more lemony than I generally care for. I love the sandalwood, patchouli and cedar notes, but the lemongrass and rose aren't quite my style.

 

Dry down:

 

I smell lemongrass and sandalwood now. It reminds me of a Thai restaurant, not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that puts me off. I can easily see this being a good meditation or yoga blend, but it's not my style at all. I would prefer the incense/wood notes to be more prominent and the lemongrass/floral notes to be much lighter.

 

The bottom line:

 

Not a bad scent, but not for me. I prefer heavier, more resiny/woodsy scents; this is just too bright for me.

[Kaowolfie]

Namaste doesn't do anything good on my skin. :/

 

When I first put it on, it's straight up cedar. A minute or so later and the lemongrass starts coming out, but even having only put on a few drops of this, it's very /very/ strong. Much too strong for my tastes. x.x

 

After about five minutes, it becomes lemon, cedar, and jasmine, and it just seems to get louder and brasher as we go on. It kept turning more and more into something I didn't like, so I washed it off at this point. Unfortunately, despite me scrubbing my wrists repeatedly with soap and once with oil, I still ended up with a strong patchouli smell on my wrists from this.

 

I guess I have my first thing to swap.