The City in the Sea

[Macha]

Lo! Death has reared himself a throne
In a strange city lying alone
Far down within the dim West,
Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best
Have gone to their eternal rest.
There shrines and palaces and towers
(Time-eaten towers that tremble not!)
Resemble nothing that is ours.
Around, by lifting winds forgot,
Resignedly beneath the sky
The melancholy waters lie.

No rays from the holy heaven come down
On the long night-time of that town;
But light from out the lurid sea
Streams up the turrets silently -
Gleams up the pinnacles far and free -
Up domes - up spires- up kingly halls -
Up fanes - up Babylon-like walls -
Up shadowy long-forgotten bowers
Of sculptured ivy and stone flowers -
Up many and many a marvellous shrine
Whose wreathed friezes intertwine
The viol, the violet, and the vine.
Resignedly beneath the sky
The melancholy waters lie.
So blend the turrets and shadows there
That all seem pendulous in air,
While from a proud tower in the town
Death looks gigantically down.

There open fanes and gaping graves
Yawn level with the luminous waves;
But not the riches there that lie
In each idol's diamond eye -
Not the gaily-jewelled dead
Tempt the waters from their bed;
For no ripples curl, alas!
Along that wilderness of glass -
No swellings tell that winds may be
Upon some far-off happier sea -
No heavings hint that winds have been
On seas less hideously serene.

But lo, a stir is in the air!
The wave- there is a movement there!
As if the towers had thrust aside,
In slightly sinking, the dull tide -
As if their tops had feebly given
A void within the filmy Heaven.
The waves have now a redder glow -
The hours are breathing faint and low -

And when, amid no earthly moans,
Down, down that town shall settle hence,
Hell, rising from a thousand thrones,
Shall do it reverence.

The scent of Death's seaside throne: luminous aquatic notes threaded through by creeping ivies, white woods, waving kelp and bruised violets.

Label:

This scent has put me in a strange frame of mind, so forgive me. It's hard one to describe, but I'll give it a go:

Go down to the beach, but do not stay there. No gritty sand and tumbling surf for you -- no marine layer mists and rum drinks, no pirate grog or sea spray, no suntan oil, no littered strand after the storm. No, that is not for you. Your way is older. Your way is ancient. You have come to this sea, these waters, long, long before.

Walk into the tide, let the cold water wrap around you. Don't try to swim. Don't try to breath: there is no air as pure as the sea. Sink, walk, glide into the mazurine depths, until you reach Tethys' realm beyond the reach of Man. Let the tides flow over you as you move into the abyss. Smell the ocean salt water filling your lungs, feel the kelp caress you, twining through your hair like school-girl ribbons as you walk towards home.

[Undine]

It is very difficult to follow up a review like Macha's, especially when the followup is as unlyrical as this one is!

 

I took a risk on this one because with most aquatic or ozone scents I just get an overpowering men's-cologne ozone and that's it. But the description was so haunting and exotic, and I love the sea and its scent. And sometimes mixing an overwhelming scent with other more down-to-earth ones will temper it greatly.

 

Bummer--the bet didn't pay off. Once again it's ozone-o-rama. It's much lighter than many ozone blends and I get a hint of sea air, salty green and woods, with a very light sweetness, but unfortunately the nose-running, synthetic smell of ozone makes this hard to pin down. I think that if one generally does OK with aquatic scents, this might be a really lovely, light, melancholy, autumn ocean perfume.

 

Throw and staying power seem to be average.

 

Damn chemistry.

 

On my (stupid) scale, 2 out of 5.

[coulrophobe]

I'll preface this by saying that the aquatic scents are not my best category... I'm not a very good Piscean!

 

In the bottle: Well... aquatic. Nose-tingly, a bit soapy, some ozone.

 

On me: It's intriguing, and very clean smelling - with my chemistry, it's sort of like a minty version of Irish Spring, but not in a bad way. I'm finding it more fresh and airy than I expected - to me, this speaks more of crashing waves, sea spray, and gulls wheeling overhead than being dragged to the depths - and personally, I'm happy with that. It's light and salty-sweet; I'm guessing that's the violet mixing with the aquatic notes. It's cool, crisp, and one of the best aquatic blends I've ever smelled.

[Scarlettfish]

I'm going to be unimaginative and say: Macha's review is dead-on. On me, this is a deep sea aquatic...the smell of salt-water and sea weed (which is surprisingly pleasant) and even old pieces of wood floating around in the water. It is not a beachy scent, but a very atmospheric and evocative aquatic. It smells like the air at sea, if that makes sense. It's absolutely gorgeous

[Lycanthrope]

In the bottle, this comes across as a very soft, mildly minty oil. Oh, but just wait until it hits your skin! Immediately, it's that same, gentle, fresh mintiness, cool, cold, a bit foreign... it's an oceanic, quiet mint. As it dries down, there's a slight increase in the sharpness of the aroma, definitely 'bruised violets,' a delicious violet floral blending seamlessly with the quiet mints. It continues on and becomes a perfectly dark, motionless ocean scent.

 

Oh, man... if there's anything like this in the GC...

 

This is amazing, beautiful. Evocative and wondrous. Sunken city indeed. Kudos, Beth.

 

ETA: After trying this a few days, I find it very faint. I prefer Kingsport, probably because I like the sharper, more prominent nature of that blend.

Edited November 2, 2005 by Lycanthrope

[LiberAmoris]

The City in the Sea smells much the way I imagined it to: light violet, ozone, ivy, light sandalwood, and something green and herbal that must be the kelp. I'm not getting any mint, just the tingle of the ozone.

 

Aquatics tend to go straight to soap on my skin, and as beautiful as this one is in the bottle, it's nowhere near as enchanting on my skin. My chemistry just robs it of its dimensionality and magic. Luckily I have other Poe blends to console me!

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: aquatics, ozonish

 

wet: fresh sea air

 

this is somewhat cologne like, fresh, wet, oceanic, ozone in a bottle. i am not a huge aquatics or ozone fan, if you are this is for you it is very clean, almost misty.

Edited October 23, 2005 by shelldoo

[Loligo]

I'm another person with ozone/aquatic issues. I love, LOVE the smell of the ocean, even the rotting seaweed component of the smell, but I just don't get that smell from "marine" perfumes -- I get detergent/cologne. Same here: it's a very delicate, wistful version of the cologne smell, but still too artificial-smelling to be successful on my skin. Beyond the ozone, all I can pick up is the violets and a hint of wood.

[aidenraine]

Ack! Ozone!

 

I do have a bit of a phobia over aquatics, because of the ozone. Wet I am a bit overpowered by it, and am wishing the bruised violets would make more of a show.

 

On the drydown I can sense a pleasantness lurking behind the strong ozone: something sweet and herby. Unfortunately, it winds up being too muted for this to smell like anything other than a generic bath tonic.

 

It's funny, this smells almost leathery as it dries. It smells like an old bottle of eau de cologne as well.

 

Hmmm I'm not getting anything new after it sits on my wrist for a while. It just fades, but doesn't morph.

[tempete]

I agree with other reviewers who thought that The City in the Sea is reminiscent of cologne. Like aidenraine, I wish that the violet note was stronger - as it is, I can detect vague hints of something violet, but on my skin, the perfumey-ness of the aquatic/ozone notes dominates the entire blend. I won't be keeping the decant.

[cupide430]

The City in the Sea

 

This smells almost exactly like Bed of Nails at first. It is a fresh, ozoney scent with a sort of citrussy undertone. Very masculine cologne-y. This has a touch of depth to it that Bed of Nails didn't have. Not particularly violet-y on me (and violets are usually very strong on me).

[Northernminx]

Aquatic notes tend to either stay very true (rarely) or go very powdery on me. Sadly this one takes the powdery route and I don't get to smell much of the wood or the other notes in this underneath it. In the bottle there's a gorgeous undertone of violet that I'm sad never really appears on my skin.

[ancilla_morte]

in the bottle it smells just like Sea Breeze face astringent.. very alcohol-ey

 

wet on skin: definitely getting a men's cologne smell, but a pleasant one. I have been a fan of most men's cologne since I was a little girl. But its also more than just the cologne smell. I can almost smell the violets at the very end of the scent. Somehow the scent makes me think of wide open spaces, the sky, the sea. just vastness.

it also reminds me of the Illuminations candle scents of Waterlilies and of Bamboo, which are my favorites from the store (I used to work there)

 

dry: the sharpness of the cologne smell tones down a bit, and there is a saltiness now. I can definitely smell the deep sea, underwater (if one could smell the deepest parts of the ocean, I imagine it would be similar to this). there is also something dark underlying it, I think. maybe its the seaweed. when completely dry, the lingering scent smells just like Yankee Candle's Midsummer's Night (my best friend always has a car jar of this in her car, so this scent reminds me a lot of her and the times I've spent with her)

 

final verdict: I like it. I don't think I would wear it as it is too masculine. but I like the scent and will keep it around for aromatherapy reasons.

I must say I am a bit disappointed with the scent, as I was hoping it would be murky and dark, lonely and sinister. But to depict such elements of a watery grave without having to resort to eau de water-decayed flesh, I think I'll take the clean freshness over that .

I do however think I'd be happier with it if it were darker and murkier smelling. As this city is old, decayed, mysterious, and it is a place of darkness and death. Not really getting those images with this as it is so fresh and clean smelling. but that's just me I guess.

(also, this scent STAYS on your skin like its life depends on it. after washing and using rubbing alcohol, it is still very obviously there on my wrist. I'm just glad I like the scent )

 

my rating: 4/5

Edited November 5, 2005 by ancilla

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Violets and Seaweed carried on the wind.

 

Usually BPAL's Violet note wears astoundingly harsh on me. In City by the Sea, even though it's prominent, the Violet has a somewhat removed, distant quality making one want to focus their attention in order to hear all it's poetry blowing in the salty breeze.

 

City by the Sea stands with Ephemera as the only Violet inclusive BPAL blends that could work for me personally. Since Ephemera's subtlety would mean reapplications, I'll now have to decide between City by the Sea and L'Artisan's Violet. That is meant as a compliment to Beth.

 

For clarity: L'Artisan's Violet might be used to define the word 'Feminine' while City by the Sea is a desirable and wearable Androgyne, IMO.

Edited November 5, 2005 by Heavenlyrabbit

[LushNatty]

In the bottle: Wow—not at all what I expected, but I do like it. It reminds me of a very high-end men’s cologne. I bet this would smell amazing on a guy. It’s very aquatic and clean-smelling.

Applied: immediately gives off the “men’s cologne” smell, all right. Like Irish Spring mixed with cologne. It’s…men’s cologne. Really strong. Not as offensively “cologne” as Villain, but it’s way too strong for me, and for me to want to smell up close on someone. I have to go wash it off. (I don’t know what that note is that I identify as “men’s cologne” but whatever it is, it really reminds me of Irish Spring.)

On a scale of 1 to 5: 2.

[iriedanym]

Took a chance on this because I have always loved the poem. I am usually not an aquatic person (I can't even swim that well)

 

It definately smells like cologne in the bottle, which made me sad. I gave it a dab on the skin and waited. The violet and ivy notes instantly come out on my skin. I'm not really smelling kelp/seaweed, and having lived in California, I do know what that smells like. The ozone smell is there, which makes me think this would be a more masculine scent.

 

Final verdict: I actually like this. It would be a bit strong for daily use, but it has an odd, cooling scent to it. I think this is the first aquatic scent that I'm willing to keep.

[PurringPulsar]

The City in the Sea

 

In the imp: salty florals. This is a more floral, violety version of Sea of Glass.

Wet on skin: the scent of the sea, with ivy and violet.

Dry: I’m funny with ozone scents-stormy ozones usually turn to washing detergent on me, but marine ozones tend to smell true to what they represent. This is no exception. This smells like the sea, a breeze from the waves, crashing on some unknown shore. This resembles Sea of Glass, but unlike Sea of Glass, which reminds me instantly of summer holidays in beautiful beach resorts, this brings to mind a more enigmatic marine image. It’s got that warm sea aspect to it, but this is no ordinary beach. It’s like standing at the edge of an unknown and rocky coast, watching seaweed waving lazily in the current…and the sea is calling you, because something lies beneath those waves. Something mysterious lies submerged under that ocean, and it is calling you…

After a while: the scent is slightly cologne like, almost lemony, but never loses its salty sea scent. It also has the violet and ivy to make it more interesting.

Verdict: ok, my review is rubbish compared with Macha's but here's what I think...this is such a gorgeous and evocative aquatic scent. It bears similarities to Sea of Glass, but this one is much more mysterious, it’s not merely the scent of summer on the beach, this is an enigmatic current of scent dragging you in, leading you to a lost submerged kingdom amongst the kelp and salty brine...it’s refreshing and yet warm, and also dark, it’s unique and haunting. Another wonderful blend from the Poe collection, I’m not sure if I’d like a bottle yet-but I do know this would be a lovely summer scent-I’m keeping the decant!

[alicia_stardust]

In the bottle/wet: It's strong. It reminded me of a men's cologne. Sort of acrid. Behind all that, if I searched, I could smell a bit of water and aquatic notes.

 

Drying: Better. I couldn's smell the overpowering men's cologne any more. This turned into a perfect oceanic, salty, water scent. In fact, it bordered on being too aquatic because I could *almost* smell something fishy.

 

This isn't my favorite. I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. I'd keep a sample on hand, but wouldn't buy a bottle.

[AlaskaSnows]

Wet: Seems like a very wet single white floral.

 

Dry: Doesn't morph at all for me, it's very much a sweet aquatic single white floral. It's pretty and feminine and still and gentle.

[Celogrl]

Faded violets hurled into the ocean- that's how this smells. But...it's lovely. The violet is very faint, the aquatic notes are always at the forefront for me in this one. Kelp? Just a wee bit, but enough to make its presence known. I am glad I ordered this LE and even though I usually love to share, this is one I want to keep *all for me*

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: It's a bit of a men's cologne scent. Salt-tinged sea air and smoky violets are distinctive, with driftwood adding a touch of dryness.

 

On me: Driftwood = white sandalwood, I've decided. On the skin it's very familar, and slightly sweet. It's very, very light, and it fades quickly. This is a subtle sort of scent, and to my nose rather masculine - that cologne aspect again. It has the crisp ozone of the marine air, but doesn't actually smell like any beach I've ever visited. I may gift this one to my brother, who is in need of a new oil.

[greywind]

I only ventured to try three of the DiMV scents, and so far it's three for three -- they're fabulous.

 

The City in the Sea is located in a temperate latitude and close to the shore in my estimation. This is the scent of cold wind and salt spray on a barren rocky coastline. There are violets lining the brittle wooden path leading down to the water, but their scent is as faint as the warmth of the bright sunshine -- both the wood and the violets are drowned out by the chill whipping wind and the colder water. This scent lasts very well on me as well, still going strong several hours after application. I'm positively intoxicated by this -- it's the scent of embarking on a thrilling, perilous adventure!

[voodoobaby]

Though I've gotten out of the habit of reviewing, The City in the Sea is to me an exceptional scent, so I felt like doing a half-arsed review. This is everything I had in mind for my perfect aquatic scent. This is what I wanted Cthulhu to be. This is, oddly, far more of a dark, murky, black ocean scent than the scent of The Great One Himself. I think it's the presence of the woods and violet that separates this from the other. If you're looking for an aquatic scent that isn't overly clean smelling, definitely go for this one. It's a keeper.

[zenvodunista]

like most aquatic scents, this one is very soapy - but less so than most…

 

wait… I'm actually getting a water scent -- it's like brine and it's…

 

outdoorsy and breezy… huh. Maybe I'll keep this one!

 

Dude! An aquatic that works on me!!!

 

kelp and salt and violets. wow. this is really pretty. i can't believe i am wearing and *liking* an aquatic scent.

 

beth never ceases to amaze me.

 

so, yeah, if you can't wear aquatics, try this one.

 

ETA: today i wore this to work, and it was quite lovely, but faded after about two hours. i recommend reapplication, or slathering! i can't decide if i'll swap it, but i think not. it really is just lovely, even if my skin won't hold it.

 

n.

Edited November 22, 2005 by zenvodunista

[Diana]

This is another DimV scent that I was unsure about. Some of the notes were a big plus, some not so much. I tend to not really like aquatics typically, since they usually can be too sharp or headache-inducing on me.

 

Wet on the skin: This smells a lot like wet Numb. Very perfumey. It's got a slight aquatic note, but it's faint and actually quite nice. There might be a trace of violet, but really it's just an overpowering "PERFUME" screaming note.

 

After a short bit, the perfumey aspect settles down a bit, and it's a light with just a tinge of the kelp which makes it smell a bit like salty seawater. Ooh.

 

Now that even more time has elapsed, it's starting in on the wood notes. They are light, slightly sweet, and really pretty. It reminds me a bit of the wet stage of Yggdrasil now. I super like this stage, though I wouldn't mind it having a bit more punch or throw. I like to waft. It doesn't really retain any floral or super pungent perfumey notes at all.

 

This is another double plus good one from this series. Even if you don't typically like aquatics, you may be pleasantly surprised with this one.

Edited November 21, 2005 by Diana