Nero

[WidgetAlley]

The pinnacle of power, poisoned by sin and indulgence - this is our homage to Classical Roman debauch. Rosemary, bay, pine and a touch of lemon.

Imp: Yum! Spicy bay leaf, fresh astringent rosemary, and a lovely bright scent that's a combo of pine/lemon. It's very, very herbal, which I simply adore!

Wet: I can see how on others this might come off as masculine, but on me it's green and fresh and perfectly astringent, strict and uplifting at the same time, like a celibate priest you have a crush on. After a moment on my skin the pine warms and takes the fore. There's this weird thing that pines do-- they say if you can smell pine sap when walking in pine woods the trees are dying. And I've experienced that before. But this is the smell of a living pine wood, crushed needles and sun-warmed bark rather than sap. The bay adds a perfect spicy touch and the rosemary and lemon are there to make it smell so happy.

Dry: This smells like the opposite of evil! I get an impression of uprightness, maybe even rigidity, like strong wood and a very well-kept house, but not a single trace of debauchery. To me this is a 'strength' smell, soothing and encouraging while still being commanding. I REALLY love it, which is no surprise considering how much I like forest, citrus and herbal smells. I can see a 5mL of this jumping into my box for sure!

[whitsunweddings]

Whyyy did I only try this after it was discontinued? My heaving breast, I beat it in sorrow.

In the imp: Spicy bay is the dominant note, but I get a wee bit of all the scents listed.

Wet: Yup. The bay is so yummy.

Dry: Spicy bay sharpened by pine and lemon, with hints of rosemary. Delicious. Would probably be amazing on a dude, but said hypothetical dude will have to pry my imp from my cold dead hands.

[Maleficium]

imp: sharp, astringent, pine and rosemary.

 

wet: evolves quickly. bay and spices, a touch of lemon (but not too much)

 

 

a very awake, uplifting scent. It is sharp, smoky and woodsy on my skin and jolts the senses, especially in the first few minutes of wearing. LOVE!

 

Impression is of alertness and power.

 

can't wait to put this on my man-friend!

[catalyst]

Apparently the pinnacle of power is a dentist's office.

 

I have no idea why, but that's exactly what it smells like to me.

 

Swap pile.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Whoo! That’s a big blast of pine. Herbal, bright, and heavy on the pine.

 

Drydown/Dry: Dry pine softened by sweet bay and a touch of rosemary. There’s an atypical aquatic element that reminds me of crashing waves before an oncoming storm. A subtle spray of lemon joins in as it dries. I like it, but it seems better-suited as a room scent than as a perfume. I think I’ll use it in my oil burner come December.

 

 

 

 

7 out of 10 bones

[Zii]

Wet: this smells like rosemary flatbread... The pine and lemon are there,and the pine is blooming on my pine loving skin, but flat breads.

 

Drying: And now it smells like urine... whoops...

 

Dry: This is bearable now that it's dry. it is just sour and off somehow... Not working with my chemistry.

[terrenity]

(Reviewed from imp, at least 5 years old)

 

In vial (blind sniff): Sharp, green, and masculine. Something here is very pokey but I can't place what it is.

 

On: Warms and mellows quickly to a soft, resiny pine. Wow, this has aged fabulously, yum. It's sweet and a little spicy (it reminds me of cola for some reason) but still bright. This feels like it could be a Yule blend. Maybe like Snow Bunny's brother? Not strongly masculine though - definitely something I would rock on a cold day. It's surprisingly awesome!!

 

Verdict: Keep! If my pine-loving husband doesn't steal it, this might go into my holiday rotation.

[savage_rose]

Overwhelming at first, but as it settles it becomes a powerful but not too aggressive masculine scent. Sexy!

[Soupy Twist]

Oh, I like this. Why does it have to be DC?! this is a perfect rosemary and juniper blend. It's fantastic.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Spicy but green! The bay is the most prominent note, followed by the rosemary, and then the pine and juicy lemon.

 

Wet: There's a coolness from the pine and a warmth from the bay. In the end, the warm, spicy bay note wins, followed by the rosemary, and then the pine. The lemon seems to be adding more of a light air to the scent instead of making this scent outright lemon-y.

 

Dry: The bay note continues to reign, followed by the rosemary and pine and the lemon that seemed to be drifting over the other notes. But after a while, the lemon goes away, and the pine overtakes the rosemary, so that the bay and pine are the most prominent notes.

 

Verdict: I'm glad that I was able to try this! It's nice, just not something I think I'd end up reaching for. I think my skin has tendency to amp bay.