The Ides of March 2005

[sophie-au]

... A mixture of springtime greenery and classical Roman cologne: rosemary, bergamot, lemon rind and vervain with costus, benzoin, gray amber, cardamom, white narcissus and iris.

Ides of March 2005 - how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1) Much love to the Lab for bringing it back for 2007! I look forward to it eagerly, and would buy at least five bottles if I had the cash instead of the mere two I have on order. (Maybe I can sneak in a third before it goes away...)

2) When I read the reviews and learned Ides of March was based on a classical Roman cologne and contained lemon and vervain, I began to covet it mightily. I love all things fresh and/or citrussy (like vervain) and I adore eau de cologne, particularly the older formulations. (I've been known to do extravagant things like use a large 800ml bottle of No. 4711 cologne in place of fabric softener and linen spray.) I was fortunate to score a bottle of IoM in the lab's eBay auctions in 2005/2006 and eagerly anticipated its arrival.

3) Eventually I held it in my hot, little hands. I opened the bottle, sniffed it, and finally gave it a test run. It was just as wonderful as the reviews said it was! My hopes built up that it might be re-released for the Ides of March in 2006. No such luck. March came and went, and sadly I hoarded my bottle, bringing it out only occasionally to lightly dab on when I could no longer contain myself to live without its fresh herbal goodness. Attempts were made to procure more bottles that the Lab put up on eBay and all failed due to my being unemployed for several months and being unable to bid much. I was resigned to my fate of life with my lone, precious bottle.

4) But all good things come to those who wait. I can now slather freely, knowing more IoM is on the way. (But the pessimist in me whispers frantically to seek out more IoM 2005 in case they're significantly different. ) And so, I felt I should be thankful for my good fortune and post a review.

5) IoM 2005 is a delightfully fresh green herbal with citrus top-notes and some subdued florals and resins. This is very well-blended. The notes work harmoniously and there is no surprise morphing here. Aside from the citrus fading somewhat, it smells pretty much the same from start to finish. It lasts about 2 hours, but that's probably due to my wretchedly dry skin not being able to hold onto most scents for long.

6) To put an ancient formula in a modern context, this is the scent for relaxing around at home, or even better, in some luxurious spa, while you're lounging around contentedly, draped in clean, loose white garments without any heed for the cares of the world outside. Delusions of life as a Roman goddess. Ah, this the life!...

OK, back to reality...

Some trivia from Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs: "Priests in ancient Rome used vervain to cleanse the altars of Jupiter. Small bundles of vervain were fashioned and the altars were swept with these." and "The iris, one of the loveliest of flowers, has been used for purification since Roman times. The fresh flowers are placed in the area to be cleansed."

This fragrance definitely smells "clean" but not in a "chemical household cleaner", "lemon detergent" or a soap-and-baby-powder way. This is the cleanliness that comes with lush greenery, fresh flowers, a cool breeze and clean water, maybe while quietly reflecting on nature and sipping some herbal tea. A feeling of internal and external purification - both mental and physical.

The Ides of March may not have been fortunate for Caesar or Lovecraft, but their fragrant delights are most fortuitous for me!

Thank you Beth!

(Edited for typo) Edited March 13, 2007 by sophie-au

[edenssixthday]

Ides of March 2007 -This blend opens up with a blast of bitter greenery – it smells like grass and weeds and maybe a hint of dandelion. As it dries down, the throw dissipates significantly and it becomes predominantly a skin scent, and it’s very difficult to detect any of the other notes as distinct, individual notes. It does seem that the iris and amber are the strongest notes, but they’re still subdued. I’m surprised that the bergamot doesn’t ruin this blend for me and that I don’t smell the lemon or vervain at all. I like the scent upon drydown, but it sticks way too close to my skin for my preference.

[waternight]

Ides of March 2007

 

In the bottle: Sweet herbal – rosemary and bergamot are foremost, with the florals trailing behind.

Wet/Drydown: Fresh and green and citrusy! Not very strong, it stays pretty close to the skin. The florals are catching up, as is the cardamom, which lends just a hint of spice. It warms up with every minute, the “greenness” is not as strong. The bergamot and lemon rind give the blend that citrusy bite that freshens up the spicy-floral mix I’m getting. So interesting! It keeps switching between a spicy-sweet floral and a citrusy herbal blend. It can’t decide what it wants to be! But I love it either way, so I win. Ah, the citrusy-herbal seems to be winning! But it’s a gracious winner, it’s letting the cardamom and florals peek through a bit. Oo! Amber! How I love you…

Dry: Settles down into a lovely fresh scent that is primarily a sweet green herbal, but with periodic whirls of spice and floral, and a thread of amber wandering throughout it all. A definite success on my skin, I’ll be wearing this often.

 

Such a complex blend! It really morphs a lot, going through so many stages, and each one is delicious. Masterfully blended.

[Jilara]

Since I only recently discovered BPAL, I can't say what the old (2005) Ides of March was like, but I LOVE the 2007 version.

 

In the bottle: very green and herbal

Wet: Bergamot with a herbal backing and a heavy green note.

Drydown: Bergamot and lemon in front, slightly spicy herbs in the background. I can't ID any of the herb notes, because they're pretty well blended.

Dry: This makes me think of March breezes. The citrus notes are less agressive, now, and it's herbal/floral with a slight citrus sharpness. I can pick up the benzoin in the background. No idea what gray amber smells like, so it could possibly be reenforcing the benzoin, because there's a soft resin quality I can't identify. The rosemary in here must be blending into a general herbal note, because I can't identify it as rosemary at all.

 

This doesn't have much throw on me, but really keeps close to the skin. A nice spring fragrance where you don't want to really be noticed as wearing a scent. Which means I can put it on if I'm going to be in meetings all morning--woo-hoo!

[fiddlehead]

Ides of March is promising when I first put it on. Rosemary and lemon come out first and are lovely. Fresh smelling and herbal.

 

Eventually, those notes completely disappear and what is left is a floral that I don't care for on my skin. The longer I wore it the less I liked it

 

Glad I tried it but it's not for me. And it's definitely too floral for the hubby.

[Koumori]

I'd gotten an imp of the 2004 Ides of March, and it remains one of my absolute favorites, a gorgeous, clean scent, green but not overpoweringly so. I've hoarded that imp for years now, applied sparingly since I knew I wouldn't be able to get any more if I ran out - and I was thrilled when I saw the Lab was bringing it back for 2007! Surely the answer to my scenty dreams!

 

Not so much, as it turns out... the new bottle has a much lighter, more lemony fragrance, and the scent itself evaporates on me completely within just a couple of hours. I'm going to hold on to it for a few months and see if it ages into something more like the first one, but I may just be left clinging to my half-imp.

[The_Merf]

This is for Ides of March 2007:

 

In the bottle: A very nice, clean, but not cologne-y blend of rosemary, citruses and florals.

 

Wet: This is really nice--a truly gender neutral blend that manages to be clean and cool, but there is also a floral base at the same time that gives it a type of grounding and depth that one associates with a feminine scent (but this does not smell "feminine").

 

Drydown and wear: There's not a lot of morphing, but this is sooooo light. It ends up as a pleasant light herbal with a slight hint of floral. I can only detect it for a very short time on my skin, which is a shame, as I like the concept of this blend, and I must say that this is one of my favorite BPAL labels ever.

[Lunaratu]

So I got this for a friend of mine who adores anything to do with Julius Ceasar and was a Classical History major for undergrad--but I had to sneak a sniff before I gave it to her ^_~

 

Immediately on it reminds me of a sharp mixture between cologne and pine sol cleaner--I'm guessing this is the rosemary (lavender dislikes me as well so I wouldn't be surprised since they smell similar to me at times). I have to keep myself from running and washing this off since everyone else has said it settles down into something much quieter.

 

so I wait and it does settle quite a bit. no longer roaring on my skin it starts to remind me of old fresh soap like colognes--something expensive a man might wear but not necessarily me. It's not me but I have a feeling it will probably be much prettier on my friend.

 

Throw: Close to the skin but as you move you can pick it up slightly

Rating: 3/5 (i.e. pretty enough but not me)

Edited October 7, 2007 by Lunaratu

[Extispex]

I got a chance to try this one this evening because I spilled half an imp of Hades on myself and had to shower. After my shower I thought I'd go for a change of pace, something light and fresh for a warm spring evening, so I tested my new bottle of Ides.

 

Ide of March was an impulse buy. I'm sure none of the rest of you know what thats like. Heh. I loved the name, I loved the concept, but I wasn't too sure about that lemony note, since I figured my skin would amp the hell out of it. Then I saw it for sale on the forums and thought "Why not?".

 

In the bottle, its green and herby with a miasma of lemon hanging over the greenery.

 

On my skin, there's that lemon. Its a crisp lemon though, very clear and fresh smelling. Not Lemon Pledge at all, just bright with a hint of sweetness.

 

As Ides dries, wowee, it turns lovely on me. It just glows. Mr Lemon fades and begins to play nice with the herbs and flowers. I can't pick out single notes, its all so well blended with nothing overpowering anything else. 'Glowing' is definitely the right word, a diffuse radiance that bathes everything but seems to have no discernable source. The scent is neither green nor yellow to me, but a pale luminescence, like being in the presence of a gentle mystery.

 

The aroma is light, without a lot of throw, but tends to flutter around me as I move. Truly beautiful.

[ilona]

2007 version

 

I've been wanting to try this since it was first released. I'm happy I get to try this even if it's not the first version.

 

Wet - green and bitter, almost medicinal. Sharp and astringent, but not unpleasant. This isn't perfumey, but I would wear it when I want something fresh and clean.

[Cedar]

In the bottle: Rosemary and lemon.

 

Wet, on skin: I'm getting something sharp and icky, and I'm going to blame the florals because I hate florals. They always smell very commercial-perfumey-synthetic on me. I was hoping they wouldn't be strong enough to overpower the non-florals, which are quite nice.

 

Drying: I'm back to getting the lemon, rosemary, and amber, but it's fading so fast I can barely tell. I think I'll probably end up selling this one, because I just don't like it enough to keep it around with all the others I've got. For herbals, I prefer The Apothecary.

[glass_cat]

I'm another one for whom Ides of March was an impulse buy. I was initially not too sure about it, because when I see the word "cologne", I automatically tend to think "masculine" and masculine scents really don't win any points with me. However, I couldn't resist the description and the concept. I was really sold on the fact that this is based on an actual ancient perfume recipe. (Plus, I figured that if I didn't like it, I could always trade it or give it to my boyfriend. He was more than happy to take De Sade and Casanova off my hands.)

 

Ides could certainly be worn by a man quite comfortably, but I would label this scent as more unisex than anything else. It's very fresh, very invigorating, and quite herbal... a perfect blend to help ring in the new spring season. It does call to mind what I imagine in my head when I try to think of what people might have worn in Rome back in the day. I like very much how the herbacious and grassy tones of this are tempered with a little bit of floral. It makes it "pretty" enough for me to comfortably wear it, and that is what's really selling me on it. Mentally, this is in the same category as Tempest, which is one of my top favorites. I like this very much, and I already know that I'll be reaching for it often over the coming spring and summer months. Ides is the refreshing scent of the first new, fresh, green growth after a cleansing rain. How could I not like it?

Edited April 2, 2007 by glass_cat

[sookster]

this is the 2007 version...

 

straight sniff from imp is very wet, lush, green grass with a touch of lemon verbena...

a true spring scent

 

once applied the green grass comes forefront...i get a hint of bitterness...almost

like a dandelion...the lemon verbena fades fast and furiously and i am personally left

with grass and dandelion...i love it

[stellans]

This is for the 2007 version.

Imp: Green! But a light, slightly astringent green rather than the green of verdant lawns. This is a definitely herbal green scent, and one that delights the nose.

 

Wet: Still the astringent green I smelled in the bottle gifted to me by my SpringFling Switch Witch.

 

Dry: There is a definite softening of the astringence upon dry-down. The green smell is now a sweetly soft herb garden on my wrist. The scent locket, however, is still sharp. When I wear this again, I don't think I'll use the scent locket because I like the stages this goes through on my skin, from sharp to soft. It's a very pleasing metamorphosis.

 

Verdict: Boy, am I glad my SW sent me this bottle! I made a big mistake in deciding not to order it, because I love it.

Edited November 23, 2009 by stellans

[grrrlennyl]

2007 version

 

at first: sweet, heady flowers and herbs.

on: fresh lemon rind and herbs.

1 hour later: a sweet, spring-like floral with herbs and a bit of citrus.

6 hours later: a faint sweet / citrussy combination with a bit of herbs.

overall: this is nice on me, but not something i'd wear often.

[nevermore]

This smells exactly like I thought it would. Rather masculine and traditionally cologney and slightly floral, but I think women could still wear it. It's heavy on the greenery at first, but the resins come out more as it dries down. I'm really glad I finally got to try this - I've been trying to get my hands on it since the original came out.

[Tal Shachar]

Wet: Fresh, piercing greens, but a sweetness underneath from--I believe I have located the narcissus! The lemon is present but well-behaved.

 

Dry: Fifteen minutes later, the sharp rosemary and bergamot settle down and...narcissus, yes. It now reminds me of Hades, which I also love. It's brighter, and the impression of greenery is still there, but on me it goes SWEET floral, yet with almost no throw even when I slather. Whiffs now and then. This was so strong just minutes ago! I would swear there was lotus in it if I didn't know better.

 

Verdict: Pleasant and I'll hold onto my bottle, but won't go nuts trying to find another one to hoard.

[funkmoppet]

Wet from the imp, this is all sharp green herbal. Love it!

 

I cannot believe I get no lemon from this! What are the odds? But no, its all the yummy green stuff. It's so clean, fresh and invigorating, surrounded by lush green plants and running water.

 

Mellows a little, but luckily doesn't stray too far from the dry down smell. I'm loving this. Have to keep my fingers crossed that there's going to be an IoM 2008. I'll be buying a bottle for sure.

[Schmoozy]

Ides of March is .

The perfect green scent. Wet from the bottle it is very herbal & medicinal. I know I am going to love it, when I can detect rosemary, lemon & bergamot straight away.

 

While wearing the herbal notes tend to fade and a clean, soft scent appears in it's place. The floral steps in and combines with the herbal and morphs into this absolutely stunning blend.

 

Ides of March really is love.

[aine]

Add me to the list of those who love Ides of March. It is a very evocative fragrance for me, it reminds me of the green scented winds blowing across grass and through gardens. The gentle scents of herbs, citrus trees, fresh springtime flowers.

 

It is a fresh spring fragrance without being girly or stereotypical in any way. The rosemary and vervain give it such a gender-neutral herbgarden edge and the bergamot and lemon peel add a gentle but present citrus dimension. The resin notes and even the florals seem to be there only to ground Ides of March, they don't alter the feel of the scent.

 

All in all, Ides of March is a fabulous oil. I love its oldfashioned cologne feel and its uncomplicated nature - I really enjoy wearing it.

[klio]

Old Ides

I have an imp of The Old Stuff which I adore, in my Romanophilic way. It mellows on me into scattered herbs and a hint of flowers growing over old ruins. Close my eyes, and Rome rebuilds itself around me. Open my eyes, and it's wind through flowers again. I could sit here peacefully in the late afternoon sun with my hand attached to my nose, just daydreaming about Herculaneum. I would wear this even in my most girly moods, but I'm sure I would also love it on a guy. It stays flowery and little fruity as it fades away, and it fades quickly because I have so little of it that I barely dab even the tiniest bit on.

 

New Ides

I received a bottle today of The New Stuff, which in the bottle smells of alcohol and department store cologne, harsh and strong enough to make my throat sore (literally). I didn't feel encouraged to try wearing it, but I did, and I think I may be picking up bergamot and lemon after about 10 minutes. Or it might be interacting with the Rose Cross I already had farther down my arm. Further bottle-sniffing and I sort of detect soapiness (or imagine that I do). Also, my eyes and sinuses feel itchy and are even stinging a bit.

...two hours later:

Still strong and extremely "perfumey" and generic. I was hoping something terrific might happen to the scent if I stuck it out, but I must go scrub it off my hand.

 

Either The Old Stuff has delightfully aged, or there's something terribly wrong with this bottle of The New Stuff. I'll have to track down another bottle to compare. Or revisit this bottle in a year or two.

Edited August 28, 2007 by klio

[bulletslc]

I figured someone should review this on the day it was made for! LOL!

 

This is the 2007 version.

 

In the bottle this is sharp lemon peel, bergamot and rosemary. Very, very bright!

 

 

A few minutes on my skin and the amber amps...YAY! (love amber) but it just softens the bright green top notes.

I love bergamot and this combined with the rosemary and lemon (plus a hint of the florals.....iris....nummy!) is the main "green/citrusy-sharp" scent.

 

This is a lovely spring blend! The amber is "caught" by the strong top notes and never goes to baby powder on me. It is strong with amazing throw....no end in sight!

 

I'll have to make sure this is in heavy rotation in my "spring" collection!

 

[AEris]

The citrus accord in Ides of March smells like orange blossom to me.

 

It's a bright, fresh herbal scent, and I think women as well as men could definitely wear it.

 

3.4 out of 5

[zankoku_zen]

Ides 2005

 

This is a very... odd scent to me. It's freshly herbal, with a smattering of citrus and flowers. And it smells like spring. There was an almost fruity/figgy note to it on wet. It's what I wanted Beltane to smell like.

 

I have an imp of the newer Ides. And will compare.

 

 

Ides 2007

This one again is an herbal springy floral --- but there is a major difference I get more of the amber/cardamom in this blend, which makes it a heavier spring floral in my mind. I can see the herbally springiness of 2005, but it has more .... gravitas, for lack of a better word, in this one. A little more serious, less playful, perhaps slightly more ominous?

Edited November 20, 2008 by zankoku_zen

[Dark Alice]

This smells wonderful on me. I don't know why, because the 07 and 09 version just went to soap. But the 05 version is just gorgeous.