Lear

[QueenFae]

A regal, commanding scent, but poignant. White cedarwood, blue sage and bay leaf.

This smells very much like new car scent on me, which I think is because of the sage and bayleaf, as these notes always go a little funny on me. It's a very deep, earthy/woodsy scent, and if I hadn't read the ingredients I would swear there was vetiver in it. Unfortunately, these type scents never work very well with my body chemistry, a little too mossy and rotting leaves. I will find my imp a more appreciative home. Edited January 6, 2006 by Shollin

[Lit Chick]

The husband tried this one out - and while it was nice, it was not the right scent for him. Lear went dusty and musty on him - similar to what Grandmother of Ghosts did to me. Guess we can't wear dry wood scents.

It was very good at evoking "regal old man", though - so I have to compliment the blend. It's exactly how Lear should smell.

[Scarlettfish]

This scent smells like old man. That is not a bad thing, but it is very true of this scent. It perfectly conveys the regalness and fraility of Lear. It is very earthy and woodsy, and I think the dominant note I get from this is bay leaf. I suspect there is vetiver in this, too, which is probably the smell that is going a little bit wrong on me...a little too mossy and dark. Overall, a very evocative scent that perfectly suits its name, although it's not for me.

[Tess]

When I was placing the order of imps for the boy to try, I immediately added this one to the bunch. I ADORE cedar and I'm really hoping this works either on me or him.

 

In the bottle - VERY strong cedar with a heavy sage scent running through it and just a touch of bay making it medicinal.

 

Wet - Immediately a dry cedar with sage scent. VERY dry.

 

Drying - The sage is overpowering the cedar and the bay has a very strong presence now. This truly is very medicinal on me; it's clearing up my sinuses and making my lips tingle the may Carmex does...

 

Dry (15 minutes) - The cedar's back, mixing in very interesting ways with the sage and bay notes, but it's a dusty, ghostly kind of smell. Extremely faint, but I'm starting to think this would make a great scent to put in among old clothing and linens.

 

Overall - Not something I'd wear, but it might be more workable on the boy. If not, I really think this would make a great scent for putting among storage to give it that aged, homey type scent. Or a good scent to keep the mustiness out of an attic. Very interesting, indeed.

[mudtusk]

This was an odd one for me. It smelt of wood and leather to me, not the sort of thing I would usually consider wearing. But I've learnt that the proof is in the eating, so to speak.

 

In the bottle it is very strong, just doesn't seem like it's going to be good...

 

Wet - the hearb notes start coming through, and very quickly becomes rather pleasant. And like someone said before, I'd swear I could detect patchouli, albeit without the sweetness.

 

Dry - It's dark and woody with fragrant herbs to mellow it. It's amazing.

Despite the difference in ingredients, it reminds me a lot of Greed, which wound up being too sharp for me, but this is great. Thank you BPAL for revealing a new side of me.

 

I Score It: 7/10

[LiberAmoris]

Wow, strong cedarwood and bay leaf! Very rugged and traditionally masculine. The notes are so strong and piercing, there’s a kind of warlike intensity to them. The sage only comes through on the drydown for me.

 

Really glad to have tried this one. It was quite an experience, but it’s a little too powerful for me.

[sookster]

sweet and pungent cedarwood and bay leaves are predominant in

this blend.....seems quite masculine.....i think i will pass this little imp onto

my dear boyfriend and see how yummy he might smell wearing it.....

[harmonyfb]

In the bottle, this smelled of bay leaf, strong and sharp. Wet, it was very masculine, but settled into a distressingly strong sage smell. Sadly, the cedarwood didn't make an appearance at all. I didn't much like it, and neither did the husband.

[g026r]

In the bottle: A strong, plant-y smell. Overpowering enough that I was worried about it.

 

Wet: Cedar.

 

Dry: Cedar.

 

Overall Some other notes may have come out (I can't remember now), but for the most part it was cedar. A nice, warm cedar smell. Definitely a keeper.

Edited March 28, 2006 by g026r

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Very strong herb smell

 

On me:

When this goes on wet, it is very strongly bay leaf. It's such a powerful smell of bay leaf, that I thought I smelled like a kitchen spice rack. It doesn't take long though before cedar comes in and takes over and then that's all I get.

 

Final note:

I can't blame Lear for this, because cedar is very dominant on my skin - so it's no surprise that all I get from Lear is cedar.

[Ryvre]

In the imp: Cedar and herbs.

 

On me: Cedar and grass? Maybe that's the bay leaf, but my boyfriend confirmed that it smells like grass.

 

Drydown: More cedar.

[Eunice]

If I don't think about what I am smelling in this, my first thought is that Lear smells like freshly mown grass on a hot summer day. When I sniff longer, I can make out the cedar and sage. The bay leaf does show up but it is very faint. This comes off as a total peace scent for me. The more I smell this, the more I want a large bottle. I love the way Lear makes me feel.

[Miss Lynx]

A reasonably pleasant scent, earthy and herbal, but not terribly interesting. I like it as far as it goes, but it doesn't really sit up and grab my attention. It's just sort of... there. Nice enough, but unobtrusive to the point of being almost bland.

 

I would have sworn there was vetiver in here, too - it actually smells almost like a single-note vetiver might, but it's not on the list of notes. Of course, I'm never sure if the listed notes in the description are all that's in the scents or not...

 

Anyway: when I had fewer scents I might have kept this, as it's not bad at all, but with the collection I have now I don't tend to hang onto the ones that don't thrill me, so it'll probably be swapped away.

 

Grade: B-

[gwyllgi]

I generally like sage and bay quite a bit, so I was eager to give this one a try. It's lovely, slightly musty and masculine, and indeed quite regal. It loses a bit of its appeal on my skin, though; cedar dislikes me, but its evil intentions are kept in check by the sage, so it comes out smelling like an old house, rather than sour wood. It's an old house that hasn't been lived in for a while, but which was well-loved.

 

Oddly enough, this scent also seems to drive one of my cats absolutely wild. As soon as I put it on, she's in my lap, cozying up to wherever I'd applied it and kneading like there's no tomorrow. I've never seen any of my cats have this reaction before, so I may keep it around just for that amusement's sake.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Holy dirty hippy batman! That's a lot of sage! It sort of smells like dirt.

 

First on: It's so potent I can smell the small amount I put on without lifting my arm. After a while the cedar really comes out and the sage dies off (yay!) leaving a very outdoorsy woodsy scent. I could picture a lumberjack smelling like this.

 

Drydown: Mostly now cedar and bay. It's a less exotic version of Old Kathmandu.

 

Overall: I'd like this scent for some incense, but not for a perfume on a guy or a girl unfortunately.

[littlefarmgirl]

Patchouli, cedar, sage? Very woody (naturally).

After a while I could have sworn I was wearing The Lion. ?????

Overall, it's okay, but I think I'll stick with The Lion.

It has the non-bonus of my sister hanging on to my wrist, too.

 

Edited.

Edited June 21, 2006 by littlefarmgirl

[edenssixthday]

Lear is very strong, dark and heavy when sniffed in the vial. I thought for sure there was vetiver in it. However, as soon as I applied it to my skin, while it remained just as strong, the scent became quite obviously woods. I first thought there may be a bit of patchouli in it, but as it dried, it became quite obviously the scent of cedar and reminds me of the cedar closet where a woman I used to know would keep all of her out-of-season clothing. The scent is definitely cedar wood, and I don't get pencil shavings from it, like I do with a lot of cedar blends. The sage is completely undetectable, but the bay is also very strong, and gets stronger with time, until the 2.5 hour point, when the bay completely overwhelms the cedar. It's a strong and pungent blend, and not one I see myself wearing again, as it's simply too heavily woody for me. It's also highly masculine and while I know some women love it, I can't for the life of me imagine it actually working on any women I know. I would, however, love to smell it on quite a few men I know. I think it would be fabulous on them, especially on the outdoorsman type guys I know. It kicks some serious ass in the realm of staying power, as it lasts for hours.

[juniperus]

Bottle: very woody, all cedar

Wet: I can catch the herbs beneath the cedar, a very dry scent.

Dry: the bay has a sharp edge to it, the sage more of a presence. still very much about the cedar, but it's a mellow cedar, at least.

Later: the sage is bothering me. allergies, same chest tightening I used to get when smudging (needless to say, that's why it's a past-tense activity). *sigh*

[urbanruralferal]

Mmmm, this one is very nice. Wearing feels like having a strong man right there looking over your shoulder, keeping you safe. Very much cedar, and I smelled something that was like oakmoss to my nose.

It is not what I would call a deep smell. It is fairly dry, and not so much heavy.

I wish my husband would wear this, but he won't wear anything. shrug.

I did think about how well it would keep moths out of my woolens! But I didn't know how to apply it in that context, so I have already sent it to a new home.

[ND¢]

In the bottle: Woody and penetrating.

 

On me: Mainly cedar. Slight sage tempering the smell away from pure cedar. This is somehow evocative of... scratch n' sniff pickle scent. I think it's the sage and cedar combination. A dry, solitary sort of smell. I really appreciate straightforward blends like this, and since I usually feel that 'woodsy' scents aren't 'woodsy' enough, will seek out more of it.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 4/5

Summarised in a word or two: Cedar!

 

Pre-review thoughts: Goth sage and bay leaf dislike me greatly, so I'm testing this purely out of curiosity.

 

In the imp: Sage!

 

On skin, wet: Cedarwood and sage. Though I can't wear it myself very often, I'm actually very fond of cedar. Here, it's warm, solid, and just a bit dusty. The sage and bay leaf are surprisingly muted, and add a lend a nice green quality to the blend.

 

On skin, dry: Damn but this is strong! I, shockingly, really like this. It kind of... comforting, in an odd way I can't place. It hasn't changed very much from its wet stage, save to become a little musky, and become much stronger.

 

Conclusion/Notes: I like Lear, but it's not something I'd ever wear. I'm single at the moment, but I'll probably keep the imp on hand to test on whatever fellow I next occupy my time with. Come to think of it, I may need a second imp — I have a male friend this would probably be fabulous on.

[forspecial_plate]

Lear is mostly cedar on me, unfortunately. Dusty cedar with very little else...maybe a little tiny bit of the sage but not enough to compete with the cedar. This will go on to someone who will like it more.

 

Aureus made me think I loved cedar. Lear made me realize I just love Aureus.

[supremegoddessofall]

Oh wow! Cedar! This is definitely a man's scent, and she'll kill me for saying it, but I would probably love this on my girlfriend. When I was growing up, there was a cedar mill in the town where I lived, and if you drove past it at just the right time, it was the most heavenly scent in the world. Although I don't like this scent on me, I really want to see how it smells on my girlfriend. I think I would be a very happy camper.

 

ETA: Yup. I love this on my girlfriend. She smells muy yummy!

 

Rating: 3 out of 5 on me, 5 out of 5 on my girlfriend.

[Alchemy21599]

This scent smells like old woolens that have been stored in a cedar chest. Blech.

[catrinella]

Imp: Cedar, but with a bitter edge.

 

Wet: Sage. This is a hit-or-miss BPAL note for me (love it in Antony, hate it in Aeval). We'll see.

 

Drydown: Ooooh, cedar coming in strong. This is bouncing between sage and cedar, though toward about 30 minutes the bay leaf is coming up.

 

1 hour: Cedar with an undertone of bay. Very woody and dry, which I happen to like.

 

3 hours: Still cedar, but softened and with an edge of sage and bay again.

 

Verdict: Keeper. Austere, but appealing - I love Beth's masculine scents, and this is like Antony's stern uncle.