Hod

[Belladonnastrap]

HOD
Glory and Majesty, Kokab, God's Judgement.

On further information I found the following:

Hod is the eight sphere. Its title, Glory, may seem puzzling since it is the part of the human consciousness which is creative and inventive, depicting the energy matrix of the physical universe. In short Hod is science in all of its manifestations.

The eighth emanation on the Tree of Life. Hod is associated with the planet Mercury and represents intellect and rational thought. It also represents the structuring and measuring capacities of the mind as opposed to the emotion and intuitional aspects of Netzach.

Taken from here

First Sniff: It smells like a milkier version of O!

Wet: *thud* Amber, Rose and Honey. There's a wee bit of almond in there as well which makes me hesitate because even though I adore the smell of almond it has an absolutely HORRID reaction to my skin. Nothing bad though but there *is* a slight tingle so I'm pretty sure there's some almond in this.

Drydown: Imagine O and Le Petit Mort getting together and producing offspring. That would be Hod. The almond has mellowed down into almost the barest whiff (thank the GODS that means I can wear this) but the amber and honey are still hanging in. This also reminds me a bit of Dana O'Shee as well, it has that lovely milkiness.

Staying power: Holy cow Hod LASTS. 4 hours later and it's just as sweet and amberrosehoney smelling as it was when I first put it on. It's also lasted through 3 rounds of washing dishes, 2 handwashes and a healthy dosage of bleach since I cleaned up earlier. All in all it's a wonderful scent and fans of Dana O'Shee, Alice, O, Le Petit Mort & others like it should definitely seek it out! It's like the bastard child of all of those.

Gonna have to save the pennies for a big one of this.

(Edited to add staying power) Edited November 19, 2009 by Shollin

[ChupaChup]

Wow, I was a little taken aback by the review of Hod above, it's totally different on me . I get no roses or almond, possibly some honey and amber but they are so faint it's hard to say. What I do get is Morocco! Morocco without the sandalwood, it's got the spicy carnation and possibly some other spices, although the carnation is so strong it could be contributing all the spiciness. It's sweet and exotic like (aged) Morocco and very long-lasting. Very consistent, it doesn't change at all from imp to drydown. A to-die-for scent !

 

ETA: I doubt there is amber in this since it lasts so long on me, usually scents with amber are gone in half an hour.

 

Son of Edit: Ok, I lied, it is changing on me the longer I wear it. I now think it's vanilla that is giving this its creamy sweetness. That's where the reviewer above is getting the Dana O'shee/Alice associations! Divine!

Edited April 8, 2005 by ChupaChup

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Carnations blooming over amber.

 

Second Impression: An unusual combination, reminiscent of Alice but more (a wicked lot) like Lughnasdh. I like this better than either of the others it reminds me of. A bit of sweet vanilla is peeking out on the drydown.

 

Final Analysis: I'm glad I got to try this but it's not knocking my socks off.

[Finny]

Hmm, I smell honey, amber, and something spicy. It doesn't burn like cinnamon though, so I'm not sure what spice it is.

 

I like this one, it reminds me of cinnamon toast. Cozy and warm.

 

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Warm amber, a waxy vanilla and a hint of clove.

 

After Wearing It:

Wet this is incredibly reminiscent of O. It's the same amber note, very warm, velvety and round. There's a sweetness in the background as well as a powdery clove scent that I recognize as carnation. It's a less sexual version of O with spice.

 

As it dries, Hod smells like a very warm, powdery amber. It radiates warmth yet clings close to the skin, like a tight but powderful aura. Very golden and thick, it glows but it a low one. Like the light from a crackling fire reflecting off well polished wood panels, rather than the blaze of the sun. It's the fire of knowledge that burns in secret, only providing illumination to the privileged, to the initiated. To those who have paid their dues. To me its very evocative of those who find knowledge the ultimate intoxicant, seductive beyond description, and who would give their most priceless possessions to be privy to secrets. It's the scent of the sacrifice given to drink from the well of wisdom. It's warm, secretive and feels like it's something that's life-giving.

 

In the last phase of the scent, Hod morphs into something very comforting. Still very warm, but in the most nuturing way. It actually reminds me a lot of forbidden fruit in that it feels a bit cookie-ish, but not overtly so, and fortunately doesn't have any of the disturbing vibes I felt with Forbidden Fruit (which felt like kiddie porn bottled to me). It's a lightly spiced amber that's sweetened with vanilla, that together smell faintly of gingerbread or of those really yummy pink iced animal cookies that I loved in grade school, but without the hard sugar edge of the pink ice. It's foody, but not aggressively so. It's just warm, sweey and comforting and I'm absolutely in love with it. This stage stays until Hod is all but a memory on my skin. Ab-Fab it is!

 

Final Thoughts:

SO GLAD I bought a bottle of this unsniffed! At first I wasn't sure if I needed it since I had O and they smelled similar, but now I know I do. I definitely do. This scent didn't last quite as long as amber scents usually do on my skin (it was gone after 8 hours, while some I can still smell the next morning), but that's fine as I'm happy to reapply and have a 10 ml anyway so there's no reason not to! This is going to be a favorite for me!

[clover]

Hod

 

Sniffing from the bottle: A bouquet of carnations! And a little bit of cherry.

 

Upon applications: This is all carnation on me. Not a very spicy carnation, though.

 

After a few minutes: Well dang, it's mellowing out. Seems like a pretty even balance between carnation and amber.

 

A few minutes after that: Amber. Which is kind of unfortunate, because while I love the smell of amber, it doesn't last on me, at all.

 

Conclusion: Such a pretty scent, but it's gone after an hour. I bought a bottle unsniffed, so I might hand on to it for a while to see if it gains strength.

[joseybird]

Very very very carnation...and maybe a hint of cinnamon, but a pretty bland cinamon =/ This is...alright...very bland though

[laochodia]

What I get from Hod is O on steroids. Very strong amber, honey and a touch of spices/verrrrrrry faint flowers. This smells rather like what I expect the nectar of the ancient greek gods to smell like- if you drink it, you will be transformed into something other. Very yummy, although it does make me sneeze for the first few seconds as the amber asserts itself before settling into my skin.

[slave1]

On Bottle: Sweet, spicy and a bit metallic.

 

On Skin: Carnation! Wow, very soft spicy floral. I have seen reviews of people comparing it to “O” and to me that is not the case. It’s not even slightly like it… O is so deep, sweet and honey filled. This scent is light, floral and spicy. I like it, but am not crazy about the dominant carnation note.

[helarctos]

Wow. I didn't get any carnation or amber from Hod. On me, it smelled like fresh, slightly-unripened strawberries. It also faded very quickly.

[shelldoo]

almost a pure carnation single note, but lightly in the background lingers a hint of amber and an even lighter hint of cinnamon. this one really lasts, and is very very true in bottle, wet and dry. all in all i love this one

 

eta: intresting yesterday it was all carnation today it is sweet warm vanillay goodness w/ a touch of amber. hmmm i love both ways, intresting how it is different things different days

Edited May 17, 2005 by shelldoo

[glampyre]

I chose Hod it at random today and am so pleased!

 

This scent is definitely reminiscent of Morocco in its deep, velvety spiciness. Very sophistocated, warm, and soothing.

 

I love that it represents both sciency and mercurial things.

 

Perfect!

 

[cupide430]

Hod

 

Sweet, creamy and spicy. And I usually hate spicy scents. It smells sorta like generic Christmas potpourri to me, but in a good way and then dries into a sweet spicy scent. It is like a spicy Snowcake scent to me. Or maybe its a little bit similar to the spicy sweetness of Santa Monica.

 

Its getting sweeter and more powdery as it dries but retaining its sweetness. Oh yes. Sweeter and sweeter for Hod. But not in a sickly way. The spicyness and the touch of powder in this keep it from being too sweet. Or perhaps it is the lack of a buttery note that keeps it from being overwhelmingly sweet. Either way this is gentle and comforting. Mmmm. Definitely a keeper imp. Not sure if it is bottle worthy, especially since it would have to be a 10ml... Who knew "God's Judgement" could be so comforting.

[JazzieCazzie]

BOTTLE: Cinnamon or carnation (which to me is spicy-cinnamon anyway) and cookie spices.

 

WET: There is some kind of Christmas holiday cookies that this smells like but for the life of me I can't remember what they're called ... this is sort of the more sophisticated and pious version of Sugar Cookie I think ...

 

DRYDOWN: OK, apparently we who do reviews on the Lush board are a slightly less reverential bunch or else we have dirtier minds ... but honestly, for those of you who have smelled Lush's Red Rooster soap (also a cinnamon blend) and know what that is often compared to in terms of "scent," well this is just like that ... beneath the delicious cinnamon and carnation, there is an undeniable scent of ... um, maybe your boyfriend ate a whole bunch of those Christmas cookies and then you had cookie nookie.

 

Yeah, well, that was pretty much enough for me to put it in the swap pile. :/

 

I gave it about a 3.5 wet and a 2 dry.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Spicy in a warm, fresh-baked cookies way. Cinnamon and milky vanilla. Or...as I resniff and skim other reviews, I can almost detect carnations and honey, instead. Perhaps all of these notes blended together, somehow?

On me: Hmmm, this is going a bit floral. Definitely we've got some carnations growing here.The milkiness remains too, as well as something golden which I guess is the amber. Very pretty, but also this is a very light, faint fragrance.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Oh, swoon. Gloriously spicy vanilla flowers.

 

Wearing: Hod is so amazingly beautiful… warm and enveloping and carnation-spicy, with a vanilla undertone. Love love love.

[cindyrella]

Wow, this is my newest love

 

In the bottle this smells very soft and sweet and spicy, I was immediately drawn to it. I couldn't say what it was like, only that I liked this from the bottle.

 

When I put this on, all I could smell was the best ever...carnation. O, how I love that scent! It was not cloying but a fresh and spicy carnation! Almost like the SN!

 

Then, the carnation made way for another love of mine... glorious golden amber! It gave the scent a lot of depth, a soft sweet and milky base. This is a perfect marriage between the amber and carnation.

It reminds me a bit of Alice with the carnation, but this is less sweet, and the amber makes it more grown up.This could be Alice's grown up sister

 

Yum, is all I can say. If I didn't buy this already, I would've bought a 10 ml immediately!

Wow! On a rate of 1- 5 (5 being best) this is aboslutely a 5!

If you haven't guessed this already: this is going to be on my top 5 list!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: this smells...gross to me. i can't really pick out the notes.

on: this is much better on. there's a spicyness to this, but i think that's from carnations.

overall: this is a nice oil. very pretty and gentle. there's a bit of honey to this that makes me think of alice.

[inkstone]

Amber, honey and... clove? It's some sort of spice. This is a pretty blend -- creamy spice and everything.

[scourgeotheseas]

Hod

 

In the bottle: Creamy and light.

 

On me: Mmmm! Sweet! This is like chai for the skin!

 

Drydown: Yup, still chai. I think I love this. It's awfully sweet and creamy, though. And keeps getting sweeter!

 

EDIT: Getting a little funky, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the carnation coming out.

Edited August 12, 2005 by scourgeotheseas

[quikslvr]

"Oh, it's lovely" was my first reaction. Sweet and smooth, cream with a sharper topnote and just a touch of vanilla. Ah. Carnation is that topnote. We'll see how this goes, because carnation doesn't always jive with my skin.

 

The carnation brings with it a bit of spice, at this point. Now I see the comparison to Alice, for certain.

 

Dries down to mostly rich spice/incense (think Black Phoenix, etc).

 

Pretty scent, but the carnation tinge just doesn't sit well with me--same problem I had with Alice.

[olympia301]

 

When I first put it on I get the stinky smell of jasmine lurking under the spice. Then it shifts into the skin smell which is so attractive in so many of Beth's blends. Finally it turns into carnation, very pretty carnation, too. I could make an argument for milk/honey in the blend as well. This is beautiful but does not broadcast a great deal. If you want to scent a room, this one is not your best choice. I think it's more of a personal perfume for your skin, and wouldn't advise it in a scent locket unless you really like the smell of the jasmine beginning. I have an imp of Hod and will enjoy it while it lasts. Do I want more? Well, we shall see. I might.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Spicy.

 

Just On: Spicy with a hint of sweetness.

 

An hour or two later: Very mellow spice and sweet.

 

Around 6 hours: Muted spices in wood.

 

12 hours: All gone.

 

Overall: I like this one quite a bit.

 

After reading other reviews: Okay, the carnation provides the spiciness. I didn't get as much sweet as others did, must be that my skin sucks those dry in a hurry.

[Barb25]

I was scared of this one, as I kept hearing people say that it smelled like Lush's Red Rooster soap, which I can't stand.

 

However, it's flipping gorgeous! I don't get any of that - it's a wonderful creamy carnation, with a little bit of cinnamon. It's beautiful - big thatnk you to cupide430 (see above) for decanting me an imp - it's on my bottle wish list for sure.

[LiberAmoris]

Hod on me is pure O + more amber + carnation + a little bit of ylang ylang. If this represents God's judgment, God's judgment is sexxxxy.

 

It dries down to a very gentle honeyed second skin scent, that smells like I'm wearing a glow rather than perfume. Love it.