Anathema

[KesHiro]

A scent as heavy as thunder from the Vatican, with notes that inspire every sin and excess. Black opium, with vetivert and honeysuckle.

Frimp in one of my orders.

I was hoping that vetivert would work with my skin chemistry. I hear so many horror stories . . . well, you can add my chapter to the tales of terror.

In the imp, I get a strange acrid odor; it's like wet burning wood. There's also something sweet in the background, which could be the opium or honeysuckle. Wet, this is straight up wet ash. During the drydown, something sweet tries to fight its way out. I can't tell whether it's the honeysuckle, opium, or both, but I like this element. Sadly, that acrid scent takes over again. Once dry, this seems to ping-pong between burning wood and a mixture of sweet wood, eventually settling into the former.

If you can pull off vetivert and like opium/honeysuckle, you will probably like this oil. It sounds like an interesting but it obviously doesn't work for me.

Edit: adding lab description Edited April 28, 2010 by Kejiaron

[impolight]

:::ANATHEMA:::

 

Excess?

Heavy as thunder from the Vatican?

Okay, then this is a MUST.

Honeysuckle is much beloved for it's haunting, ethereal qualities.

It's fragrance ordinarily insinuates a gift for walking through walls, it seems.

Honeysuckle puts head-candy synthesizer notes directly into the brain to accompany

the unnaturally beautiful colors of Southern California sunsets.

Honeysuckle makes a vampire's grin momentarily ridiculous.

Now that the Lab has got their mitts on it...

 

The uncapping: tyjctgewiksz! Howdy, Vetiver! Though it was listed in the notes, the nose was wholly unprepared.

The Lab does amazing work with Vetiver!

The Vetiver in Anathema is green, ashen, and sassy!

This is like a smokin'-hot red-head aiming a predatory leer in your direction with an unlikely thatch of Honeysuckle worn behind Her ear and an intimidatingly large glass of Rye Whiskey in Her hand. There will be no mercy for you this night.

On the skin: Now that's smooth! All three notes cooperate gleefully, and combine in new ways!

The Amber passes for burnt or smoked Honey in Anathema.

When this mixes with the Honeysuckle and the Vetiver, the overall effect is close to that of ritual incense.

Anathema is decadently sweet and sultry.

Anathema would be just the thing for Her to be... Irresistable.

An easy 5 out of 5.

[ami226]

Earthy vetiver. Maybe a slight sweetness, but mostly just earthy vetiver.

 

Not for me.

[Saya]

The description is really accurate for this blend, well, at least for the first hour or so. It really does start off heavy and thick. The vetiver is intense and covers the other notes except for a hit of honeysuckle. After the first hour this turns into a mostly sweet, but deep blend.

 

I kind of like it.

[FathomBelow]

Anathema

In the imp: pure chocolate/earthy vetiver

Wet on skin: still lots of vetiver

As it dries: vetiver is still strongest, but with some honeysuckle. I don't have much experience with opium, but I can't smell anything else in here.

After it dries: Powdery floral combined with vetiver.

Final thoughts: Eh, not for me, although I'm glad I got to try it.

[voorishsign]

Frimp from the Lab I've been back and forth on whether to try this. I love opium smoke and vetiver but I wasn't sure about the honeysuckle.

 

In the imp - sweetened vetivert and a distant whiff of opium.

 

On wet - pretty much single note vetiver, except if you're like me, that's not a bad thing I love vetiver. Very smoky and leathery, definitely nice. Maybe slightly sweet, but mostly vetiver through and through.

 

Drydown - this sweetens and lightens tremendously. Opium deepens the vetiver and honeysuckle keeps it fresh. Maybe not necessarily my thing but a beautiful, dark fragrance from start to finish; dark, resinous, but not heavy, like a beautiful woman in a black evening gown who knows exactly how to kill a man with a tilt of her neck.

[Geminirubyshoes]

I just discovered this! It had never even occurred to me to try this before.

I have an imp and now I think I am going to need a bottle.

Heavy, sweet opium with the vetiver giving it a semi-scorched smell...opium is a note of win for me. I have always loved it in everything I have smelled that includes it. The throw is pretty decent and it's long lasting.

I really like this alot.

[Suu4LC]

Oy vey. So I am on a grand quest to test all the gcs...since I have gone through most of the ones I actually WANTED to test I am starting to hit the ones at the bottom of my list-ie all the blends with vetiver :x Opium is meh for me, but I really don't like honeysuckle or vetiver, so this should be interesting.

 

In the imp-omg vetiver. Sadly, that is all I smell. On my skin, it starts of OMG vetiver, but as it dries, calms down a little. I do get the honeysuckle a bit, which helps mellow out the vetiver. Not really noticing the opium too much-it's probably mushing together with the vetiver to my nose. It almost smells a little like black leather as it dries. I don't normally like honeysuckle, but it is saving this blend from being unbearable to me.

 

Ends up fully drying down to powdery vetiver. Gonna have to pass this impy along.

[Altaira]

I liked this more than I thought I would. The vetiver isn't too strong and is a good balance to the honeysuckle. Not sure it's very "me" though. I'm going to have to test again later.

[Voleuse]

Mmm, vetiver, heavy but sweetened. Over time, the opium leavens the vetiver into an almost woodsy incense, with a tinge of honeysuckle sweetness. I'm not generally an incense sort of gal, but this is gorgeous.

[Teaotter]

Wet: sweet, smoky vetiver

 

Drydown: Soap? Where are you coming from, soap, and why are you stealing my lovely smokiness?!?

 

Dry: Smoky honeysuckle soap. Darn it. Some florals do this to me, though they're usually rose or gardenia scents. It is either the black opium or some interaction between that note and the honeysuckle in this case. I don't like to smell like soap, even if it's high-end sexy soap. This one's not for me.

[Gateau]

This was frimped by a kind forumite. Even though it's not my style from the description, I figured I'd give it a try, especially since I do love honeysuckle.

 

In the imp and wet -- smoke and honeysuckle.

 

Dry -- The sweet opium and the vetiver create a headache-inducing smoky sweetness that makes these death notes for me. I had to scrub it off, and it lingered a long time.

 

Confirmed: black opium and vetiver are the kiss of death on me.

[achromance]

In the vial: A very aggressive vetiver that's egged on by the opium. I get no honeysuckle, or any kind of floral at this point.

On my wrist: The aggression settles and a smoky honeysuckle blooms through, unexpected. This is completely different than the initial impression.

Why is it that florals turn either soapy or powdery on me? The perfume has lost all of its edge on my skin. This just doesn't work on me.

[lilyliza]

I got this as a frimp from the Lab.

 

In the bottle: I can't smell a thing but vetiver, lol.

 

On my skin, wet: The opium and honeysuckle come out immediately, and it creates a dark, somewhat sticky-sweet scent that does evoke darkness and debauchery. The honeysuckle becomes the main note before long, and now it's a pretty sweet floral with a few unsettling notes behind it.

 

Drying: Okay, now this is too sweet. It almost makes my stomach turn, and the opium isn't helping. This is too much for me.

 

Super sweetness aside, this is a little bit too dark for my personal tastes, although I can appreciate the scent and it fits its description very well. I would like to see how this ages, though.

[Monday]

Frimp from the Lab.

For some reason all these notes combined smell the way frankincense ends up smelling on my skin: sour, smokey and fruity.

Black opium is just not for me I guess neither is Anathema.

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): Very strong opium, almost as if I walked into an opium den. At the very back of the scent is the honeysuckle as well as the earthy grassiness of the vetivert. This certainly makes an impression. I almost need to set it down after my first sniff, it’s so heady.

 

Wet: A grassy, earthy, opium filled-reverie with the faint innocence of honeysuckle gently steering this scent away from pure headiness. Although it’s an unusual scent, I rather like it.

 

Dry: Now 11 hours dry, I smell the innocently floral scent of honeysuckle and a hint of opium, making the scent have that slightly exotic scent that is so alluring.

 

Other Impressions: A coworker of mine sat two seats away from me and mentioned that something smelled like incense to her at it was very relaxing. For a super hectic day, I think Anathema was a perfect choice.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Light opium. Sweet, golden, resinous.

 

Drydown: Smoky opium cut by sweet honeysuckle. Airy yet dense - if this took physical form it'd be similar to dry ice; an airy smoke just heavy enough to drip downward. Languid and romantic.

 

Dry: It fades considerably, leaving the memory of spice and ethereal smoke behind.

 

 

7.5 out of 10 bones

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by BoneBone24
(updated to include more recent impressions)

[curlsandpearls]

Bottle: Strong, sharp, burnt ash or something.

 

Wet: Vetiver. Swirling black with a golden edge. It’s dark and masculine, heady without being gritty. I’m used to vetiver being gritty, but it is smooth as silk here. Gorgeous.

 

Dry: Silky smooth vetiver/opium with just enough honey to provide a sweetness around the edges—but not a foody sweet, a golden sweet that is just a lovely touch. Goodness, this is a beautiful blend. How they got vetiver to not be grainy is beyond me. Other reviews said it was a “rich, dark floral” and I totally agree. Not incense, not smoke (and I love those things)—just dark, smooth vetiver and opium with a touch of honey.

 

Later: Damn. It went to a powdery dark floral on me. Swap pile.

Edited April 9, 2012 by curlsandpearls

[milo]

Color me surprised. Vetiver and honeysuckle are not always that great on me, but they seem to 'balance' each other out here. The honeysuckle cancels out the acrid smokiness, and the vetiver tempers the sweet headiness of the honeysuckle. The result is a smoky, sultry subtle floral with a touch of resins. Nice! I'll certainly enjoy the imp while it lasts!

[rhubarb3point14]

This may be the wittiest scent BPAL makes. It smells exactly like opium-laced birthday cake on me. So wrong, and yet so right.

[yakiguri]

I was worried most about the honeysuckle in this blend, since I love the scent from a distance but up close and in strong quantities honeysuckle aggravates my allergies. Luckily I don't have that problem with Anathema. The dark, smoky richness of the vetiver and the thick spice of the opium drown out just enough of the honeysuckle to keep the blend from being tickling my nose. However, there's juuuust enough of the honeysuckle peeking through to keep Anathema from going utterly pitch black. Sweet, sweet blackness is an apt description. Throw is moderate, but I think I'll enjoy this more in the fall/winter than now in the 105+ degree dry heat. Will add to the bottle list!

[neuilly]

This is incredibly unpleasant on me. It smells like burnt rubber with a hazy honeysuckle on top. Bluck.

[feycat]

It starts out smelling like a great incense/dark floral combo. The moment it touches my skin though, the incense fades and I'm left with nothing but flowers, flowers, flowers. After a while, it changes into a odd, non-pleasant scent that reminds me of old, flat soda (if that makes any sense. This one just isn't for me.

[bellumed]

Anathema has a dark, thick sort of scent. Initially on my skin, it actually brings to mind the smell of cola, maybe helped along by the sweet floral of the honeysuckle. And yes, a smoky, smothering opium-vetiver along with it. After a couple hours, it actually went powdery as well. If this blend was a color, it would be a dark, dusty purple. Deeply, deeply not my kind of perfume, but interesting.

[JazzieCazzie]

A new-to-me scent, surprisingly enough given the listed notes -- I would have thought I'd have ordered it at some point in the past.

 

But apparently not, and this imp was acquired in February 2013 when I ordered a whole boatload of imps, some I wanted to revisit and others I wanted to try for the first time.

 

A few days ago, I did a TINY test on it for the "A-B-C" thread in BPAL Chatter and here was my VERY initial reaction:

 

Outstanding yet subtle and sweet blend of my favorite kind of floral offset by something more mysterious. Come to mama. ... I love the spicy floral of it and it makes me just want to keep sniffing myself. ... I'd say it reminds me ever so slightly of Twilight and Veil, my very first two BPAL purchases, both of which remain favorites though not ones I wear frequently (I try to keep my regular go-to scents on the more subtle and spicy side rather than floral, because I find that people who have scent issues tend to be bothered more by florals than anything else).

 

So this time, for full review purposes, I was a little more generous in application with some differences in initial reaction.

 

IMP: Surprisingly not very floral to me, per se ... more ineffably "other-worldly" and spicy and slightly mysterious. Had I not known the notes, I would have been baffled but thought possibly green/herbal.

 

Applied to wrists and crooks. NOT to cleavage this time.

 

WET: BAM BOOM HELLO HONEYSUCKLE. Not sure if this note amps on me this immediately all the time or just in this mix but ... wow. But not sweet lovely southern honeysuckle which blooms in my back yard in the spring. A strong, syrupy, spicy honeysuckle. Someone earlier in this thread comped it to New Orleans and I would agree. In fact, had I not known better, I would have also suspected there might be some jasmine in here. Yet even with that in-your-face floral, there was a spicy green-ness looming, like a kid in the backseat making itself known.

 

DRY: Very spicy and strong and floral and unusual. I still keep thinking jasmine and not sure why. This IS a keeper for me and it's wonderfully complex, but I wouldn't buy a big bottle of it because it's definitely not for everyone and I have a feeling the people I spend the most time with would not be big fans ... I wouldn't wear this in an office setting or anyplace I was going to meet new people that I wanted to impress. Not a knock on it at all ... just that I can see it being a "love it or hate it" scent.

 

Subtle, it ain't.

 

I'd go 3.5 out of 5, will keep it and dab it on occasionally for that feeling of being debauched and Blanche Dubois-ish.