Dove's Heart

[viciousviolet]

A gentle, healing love blend, often used to help mend a broken heart. Brings peace of mind, soothes the sting of loss, and aids in finding closure.

A soft, very melancholy scent yet utterly lovely. It is gently floral and the drydown has a distinctive lavender note to it. Very peaceful and wistful. It does put me in mind of lost loves and regrets. Wear it when you're watching a sad film, and I daresay you won't stop weeping for a fortnight!

Later I found that the scent of this oil takes the edge of anger off of me. It's a bit hard to explain, but using the scent as an aromatherapy inhaler after an argument gets rid of that "red haze" for me. I feel calmer, more forgiving, and it gets my head cleared up enough to be rational again.

[twistygirl]

This is indeed a very gentle, lovely, compassionate scent. It smells like what I would imagine angel's tears to smell like. Very soft and comforting, but at the same time there is something a bit melancholy about it. As I smell it, I keep thinking about my mother, who died three years ago, and it's bringing tears to my eyes. I don't know that I'd wear it in public, because I think it could definitely arouse some tearful moments, but if you're feeling sad and you want the feeling of loving ethereal arms wrapped around you, this is one to try. I think the best word I can think of to describe this is "precious," and that's not meant in a smarmy way...

[Cegirls]

I put this on, forgetting the site description and suddenly felt a calming, yet saddening sensation come over me... Rather than thinking of passionate loves that are behind me, it's making me think of my beloved Grandparents, who are very much alive, but becoming ill and frail, a reminder of their aging. I'm thinking of my Grandmother, and her loving embrace. My, I think I might have to wash this off for this morning, and wait for a more appropriate time to wear it. A beautiful scent, with a very powerful emotional pull...

[antimony]

VIOLETS!

 

That's about all that's going on here for me... and it lasts and lasts.

 

Unfortunately, I don't like violets. I feel like I want to scrub out the inside of my nose, this scent is painfully strong.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Very floral and slightly herby (like all voodoo blends I've tried so far). Has that slightly soapy Lily tinge to it too.

 

After Wearing It:

This was very strange on me. For starters, this is the first scent that's ever produced a physical reaction on me. My skin isn't too sensitive, so I was rather surprised when the spot in the hollow of my throat where I had applied Dove's Heart started to sting. It didn't last long, but it was still a surprise, particularly considering the intent of this particular voodoo oil.

 

On me this scent is very floral, in a prim, almost astringent manner. It reminds me of perfectly pressed white gloves, crossed ankles and expensive guest soap. My nose is still recovering from a bad case of allergies from last week so I can't pick out individual notes, but the smell is an old-fashioned floral.

 

Final Thoughts:

I originally ordered this because I anticipated a coming of a time where I'd desperately need help with emotional healing and letting go. but things worked out differently so I didn't end up having to use this for its intended purpose. Perhaps this is doubly good too, since I didn't feel anything too comforting here. Might have to try it again on a bad day before I dismiss it though.

[Isis]

I'm wearing Dove's heart today.

 

In the bottle it smells very strong something like Anais Anais perfume, and I was put off by that but it does smell better once applied.

 

The fragranced quickly mellowed down to a soft floral scent, however I still think it smells like a familiar brand of woman's perfume. I get the aquatic notes coming through and flowers....perhaps lillies? i'm guessing. I can't get violet though...it smells dreamy and so sad. It's like a person has just left you with their fragrance to remember them by. Infact it reminds me of what my mum used to smell like.

 

It smells posh, like you would want to wear it for going out. It smells like a sophisticated older women- so it's not really me but saying that, I could get quite partial to this becuase I feel protected with this beautiful scent.

 

hmmmmm still pondering on it!

[Shollin]

First sniff: A very soft, pale-blue, aquatic floral cloaked in heavy mist.

 

Wearing: Beautiful, quiet and feminine and comforting. As Dove's Heart dries it takes on a homey sort of clean-laundry scent overlaid with cool floral, still pale blue. Serene and soothing – I keep thinking there should be ocean-waves relaxation music playing in the background.

[ChupaChup]

Dove's Heart is another oil I bought for a friend who is going through some tough times. When I first put it on, it reminded me a lot of the green in La Petit Mort, without the sweetness that that blend has. As it dried down, other very soft florals emerged and I do get a real sense of peace from it. I know my friend will love this.

[Electra]

This is a soft scent (i.e. no sharp edges or strident notes), but very strong. It smells old-fashioned, like someone’s grandmother (not *my* grandmother, who has never worn perfume), and I don’t mean that in a bad way – it’s soothing and calming, like a hug from someone who’s much older and wiser and knows that whatever it is that’s upsetting you really *doesn’t* matter that much in the long run. I’m getting visuals of an old-fashioned dressing table with violet or lilac-scented soap and dusting powder.

 

Nice. I can’t comment on the voodoo properties, as I have nothing upsetting me at the moment, but I’ll update my review if and when I have a chance to test that aspect of the oil.

 

Update: I unfortunately had an opportunity to test out the voodoo properties of this oil back in late March-early April. It works.

Edited September 1, 2006 by Electra

[Northernminx]

Almost astringent and sharply herbal at first (I'm noting lots of herbal in the voo doo blends) this quickly mellows into a light, soothing floral with an herbal undertone. It was barely detectable on after a bit, but was light and calming and subtley soothing. Pretty, but off to swaps as a perfume blend at least.

[Ishtar]

Dove's Heart went immediately soapy on me, to the point that I am having a hard time smelling any other note in it. There is a hint of florals underneath, but it is just a whisper.

 

This is a very understated, gentle, soft scent that dries down to a blend of pale florals, aquatic and green notes.

Since I thankfully don't suffer from a broken heart, I cannot vouch for its ritual properties, but I can see how such a mellow, wistful scent could send good "closure vibes". On me though, it is definitely too soapy to be really comforting.

Edited November 27, 2004 by Ishtar

[VorpalBunny]

Dove's Heart is a nice light, sweet floral. It's definitely calming.

It won't make a broken heart all better instantly, but it is definitely uplifting and cheering. It's definitely a good tool to have around in your toolbox.

Edited January 14, 2005 by VorpalBunny

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Liquid compassion. I was surprised how green this is; there are only faint hints of floral. Nevertheless, it's a very calming, peaceful fragrance.

 

On me: It smells so familiar but I am mystified why. Many people describe this as reminding them of loved ones or people they care about but who are/will be passing out of their lives soon. It' is like that for me as well, but rather than being reminded of a person or people, I am thinking of a place. There used to be a campground I went to every year and we would hike around on different mountain trails. On one particular trail there was a lovely little meadow, and in late July the flowers would still be blooming, but fading, with sunshine pouring down on the blossoms and the grass. Like Dove's Heart, it was a very comforting place to be.

There is no edge to this fragrance; it is soft and round. It is very nostalgic and brings back memories of past fun, which does help bring closure and happiness in the present.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Sweetness and light.

 

Second Impression: Soft and delicate, sunshine and wispy roses spun out of sugar. Somewhat of a lighter brighter Crucible of Courage.

 

Final analysis: Ethereal and achingly beautiful. This would be a great choice for those didn't get a chance to try Crucible. Go order some!

[reina]

Got this in an immense swap from BabyKitty. Thank you!

 

smells a like an expensive floral soap. Pride smelled like baby soap. This and Pride are sisters. Not that it's a bad thing, if I want to smell very clean I'll wear it, I'll just have to decide which imp I want to keep. my nose is leaning towards Dove's Heart.

[etherealchild]

In The Bottle Clear, cool water

 

Wet I want to plunge head first into this scent. wowowowow. How did Beth do that? I've never smelled anything that actually smelled like clear water. Invoked, but never such a pure and fluid note. The smell cannot be described by anything I have ever come across in my life. If you ever cried awhile and then finished and took in a huge breathe and exhaled the most satisfying exhale ever.... that's the smell. I'm encredibly calmed and quieted by this one.

 

Drydown When I find myself in the middle of maddening and hectic days, trying to find a few seconds peace to center myself and pull it together..... This scent is it. It also has an effect on the people around you. My coworkers are a rowdy bunch, but today, everyone was a softer version of themselves, and my boss, a classic typa A, has never acted this way around me. EVER.

 

Two Hours Later Lovely. ::breathes in deep:: the scent has revealed a sweet translucent floral note, ever so faint. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. I am a fan of the subtly beautiful, and this is it. So calming and centering. There is an underlying sadness, but a beautiful one, none the less.

 

Verdict A new favorite. This is what Water of Notre Dame is trying to be. Beth you are feaking amazing.

Edited January 20, 2005 by etherealchild

[shelldoo]

reading the reviews for this I start to get a glimpse of this scent, it is different things to different people. And what I mean is teh emotional aspect not the smell part, which often varies.

 

in the vial it had almost no smell, I really really had to sniff, almost snorted up the liquid. I had smelled sacred whore right before this so that could have something to do w/ it.

 

wet: it is very very faint, a clean soft, very comforting smell, how can a smell be comforting like this?

 

dry: I almost always go for dark heavy spicy scents. But this one almost calls me, I keep sniffing it, I do not get any green from it, it is a soft soft flower, I think I smell lily, but there is more then lily if that makes sense, if a white puffy cloud had a scent I think this would be it. It is almost like wearing your boyfriends sweater after he leaves, and you can smell him and it is like he is still hugging you. I am definitely getting a 5ml

[Gin]

This is white and pale blue--white lilies against a pale blue-grey sky. Very pure and comforting.

[anmorata]

Dove's Heart:

 

I find it interesting how different Dove's heart is for everyone, and how differently it's perceived by each person.

 

For me, Dove's Heart was shockingly, strikingly green and herbal upon application. Sharp, biting, green green green. During the drydown, I start to detect some florals.. lavender, perhaps? .. that intermix with a slightly spicy soap-like tinge.

 

I didn't use Dove's Heart for any specific matter that needed closure, but as someone else mentioned I don't see this as being a very comforting scent to me.

Edited March 16, 2005 by anmorata

[mmcfa2]

This is the first of the voodoo blends that I did not have the urge to wash off. Before this I found them to all have an odd off putting herbal note. Dove's heart was all watery softness and floral comfort, not smothering or cloying but soft and gentle. It starts of a bit herbal clean and floral and finished with a lavender base. As a perfume it's okay and would be appropriate for church or visiting new babies . As for it's intent? I found it very calming and soothing. I will keep this blend for harsh days ahead. I might even order a larger bottle as a room scent . I have some really hard days ahead....

[tesao]

well. this was odd. VERY odd.

 

i was thrilled to have this imp because the name has a special significance to me. i had no clue what it was, what notes were in it or that it was a voodoo blend. it was the name that swayed me.

 

in the imp: flowers. strong flowers. too many.

 

wet: floral, sweet, with a clean, green scent wafting through.

 

after 5 minutes: i had a physical reaction, which wasn't pleasant. my stomach roiled, and i started to get a headache.

 

after 10 minutes: no question, i had a headache. i wanted to get it off of my wrist. i couldn't, as i was on a business call.

 

dry down: i swear, it's gone. i can't smell anything.

 

coming in here and seeing all the comments, all i can say is that perhaps i should hold onto this and try it when i actually NEED it. i have no broken heart right now. in fact, i am strongly and surely loved. i'll hold on to it and update this.

Edited May 12, 2005 by tesao

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Eeee. Flowery or something.

 

Just On: Ack, I don't care for this much at all. We'll see how it dries down.

 

An hour or two later: Too many flowers for me. Me and my silly mental thing about flowers. It doesn't smell the greatest either, on my skin.

 

Around 6 hours: Ack. Used bandaids. I could have gone all month without smelling that again and not complained.

 

12 hours: Back to a faint bit of flowers, and not much else.

 

Overall: This one doesn't seem to like me much at all. Maybe it has to do with the bird names, because Swallow's Blood wasn't very fond of me either, though not to this extent.

 

After reading other reviews: Unfortunately, no calming or easing for me. It was not happy to be on me, and it made it known that I shouldn't be wearing it. It will have to be swapped dangit.

[pekeana]

I smell lavender, I smell jasmine -- and down at the very bottom, something immensely smoky and incensey. Despite all of that, Dove's Heart smells almost aquatic on me.

 

Whatever it is, it's a very soft, pleasantly calming blend.

[JazzieCazzie]

A gift imp from a friend who knows I love lavender scents ...

 

BOTTLE: All I get is pure lavender water.

 

WET: All I STILL get is pure lavender water. I don't get any of the other notes or vibes or anything. Not that this is a bad thing, LOL ... It's just lovely. Pure lavender. Peaceful and calming.

 

DRYDOWN: I didn't put much on so I thought that might explain why there is virtually no scent upon drydown, though a few others also noted that.

 

But that's OK ... not every scent needs to hang around all day. This is a great one for applying when needed and by the time it dries I probably am calm and serene enough not to need to keep sniffing it.

 

A definite keeper. I don't think I'd buy a big bottle simply because I have Somnus, Baku and Quiettude already But if I didn't have those, I'd probably get more of this ... on a scale of 1-5, a 4.

 

REVISITING AND RE-REVIEWING IN A UNIQUE FORM MARCH 2013:

 

I still have that lovely gift imp from 2005 (or even earlier, since I reviewed this in 2005 but had gotten it from a forum friend) with just a few drops remaining. Meanwhile, I also purchased an imp earlier this year from the Lab during an impapalooza purchase.

 

So today I've decided to double-test both Dove's Hearts -- one from let's call it '05 and one from '13, one on each wrist/arm.

 

IN THE IMP VISIBLY:

 

The AGED imp, with just a bit left below the label, is noticeably more amber in color and more viscuous, while the NEW imp is a pale pale golden and moves with ease.

 

IN THE AGED IMP: The years aging it have definitely brought the pure pure lavender to the forefront, very "in your face" (I like lavender in my face) with a strong herbal-resiny note as well -- in the imp, it most reminds me of Baku, perhaps my favorite lavender BPAL blend.

 

IN THE NEW IMP: A much lighter fresher lavender which is not really even the prevalent note. A little more astringent and floral.

 

Dabbed each on wrist and crook of arm, one on each side.

 

WET AGED: Deep, mesmerizing, ambery-resiny lavender that I could sniff forever and be transported.

 

WET NEW: Much, much lighter. Lavender balanced by an astringent quality and definitely some light sweet florals, but I'm getting violet and other "purple" flowers, not the lush white florals I get with many BPAL scents.

 

DRY AGED: Lovely, subtle, has legs. I am sad that there is only, probably, one application left in this imp.

 

DRY NEW: There is the slightest scent of the "funky" smell (which I still think might be myrrh but perhaps not) that makes is a little sweet. It's only noticeable in the crook of my arm where it combines with sweat, not at all on my wrist, where it remains fine. I think the florals other than the lavender are much more prevalent in this one.

 

OVERALL: I love the old imp and I really, really, really like the new one. What I'm not sure about is whether the formulae differ on the two or it's simply a matter of letting it age. With that in mind, and knowing that I have a pretty healthy collection of lavender scents, I will put both into the keeper box and hope that my 2013 Dove's Heart, like fine wine, will smell more like my 2005 Dove's Heart a few years down the line.

 

SCORE: I'd give the old note a 5 and the new one a 4 1/4.

Edited March 3, 2013 by JazzieCazzie

[tsarina]

I'm in the midst of a rather traumatic divorce, and through some amazing stroke of luck I bought this off a forumite. It showed up in my mail box right around the time my life flipped upside down.

 

It's very herbal, like a great mix of herbal teas. I think I smell lavender and chamomile, but I'm not so adept at picking out single notes. There is a floral undertone to it, and I think it must be the violet scent someone mentioned in an earlier review. It's bracing but soothing.

 

I wore it on my hands, and it stopped the horrible nightmares. It helps me sleep. I'm not a mystic sort, but I think this works. Thank you, BPAL.