Yew-Trees

[Hydrogen]

There is a Yew-tree, pride of Lorton Vale,
Which to this day stands single, in the midst
Of its own darkness, as it stood of yore:
Not loathe to furnish weapons for the Bands
Of Umfraville or Percy ere they marched
To Scotland's heaths; or those that crossed the sea
And drew their sounding bows at Azincour,
Perhaps at earlier Crecy, or Poictiers.
Of vast circumference and gloom profound
This solitary Tree! - a living thing
Produced too slowly ever to decay;
Of form and aspect too magnificent
To be destroyed. But worthier still of note
Are those fraternal Four of Borrowdale,
Joined in one solemn and capacious grove;
Huge trunks! - and each particular trunk a growth
Of intertwisted fibres serpentine
Up-coiling, and inveteratley convolved, -
Nor uninformed with Fantasy, and looks
That threaten the profane; - a pillared shade,
Upon whose grassless floor of red-brown hue,
By sheddings from the pining umbrage tinged
Perennially - beneath whose sable roof
Of boughs, as if for festal purpose decked
With unrejoicing berries - ghostly Shapes
May meet at noontide: Fear and trembling Hope,
Silence and Foresight, Death the Skeleton
And Time the Shadow; there to celebrate,
As in a natural temple scattered o'er
With altars undisturbed of mossy stone,
United worship; or in mute repose
To lie, and listen to the mountain flood
Murmuring from Glaramara's inmost caves.

Piercingly sweet berries over evergreen boughs, deepened by the tree’s sacred wood.

Mhmm! Loved the notes, so I automatically bought a bottle.


In the bottle, Yew Trees smelled like pine-sol cleaner. Very piney. Very very piney. Imagine rubbing pine sap all over your nose, yep! PINEY. I like it.

Wet, Yew Trees smells like mentholy pine-sol. It has that cooling smell. Uh, car cleaner? Alcohol? Dunno. I'm kind of dissapointed because I don't get any berrys from this. .

Dry, still no berries! No sweetness whatsoever. Nooo!

30 minutes after dryness, I'm praying for the berries, praying desperately, but ahh - No! The piney smell gets a tad bit sweeter, but that's probably it. Umph.



Overall, this scent was ..not what I though it would be. I love piney smells, but I was expecting something a little sweeter. I'm still keeping the bottle, though! I feel like I'm in a forest when I wear this!

EDIT: UM, I TYPED PINEY/PINE ABOUT 1533 TIMES IN THIS REVIEW, I'M SORRY. Edited September 15, 2007 by Shollin

[sarada]

I have been looking for the perfect evergreen scent for quite some time. When you come across a stand of evergreens in the middle of the woods, it's almost like you are entering a cathedral. Their tall, dark trunks are like columns in a temple, and the pale needles on the ground form a carpet to keep your footsteps hushed, a stark contrast to the bustle and crunch of the rest of the forest.

 

I'll sit there all day sometimes on a cushion of pine needles, rubbing the sap on my fingers and inhaling it, absorbing the silence. I've never quite been able to capture that in bottle form before.

 

Yew Trees does it. This is the smell of living resin, the dark dark green of the forest and the dry needles underfoot. At first I recognize what smells like the Cypress oil that I love to sniff at aromatherapy displays in stores -- a distinctly sharp, dark green scent. As it wears it mellows slightly, there's the palest hint of sweetness (I don't smell very much in the way of the berries, and I had been afraid they'd be overpowering). This is one of the most natural-smelling oils that I've come across, even from the lab. By contrast, Nocnitsa smelled like a lime lollipop to me, and I had hoped it would be something like this.

 

Yew Trees lets me smell like that sap I scrape from the pinecones and rub on my hands, but without the stickiness. It smells like going to look for a live Christmas tree and having all of the aromas of every type of evergreen in the area. I'm guessing in addition to pine and fir there must be cypress and maybe spruce.

 

This wasn't one of the Yule LEs but it could easily be worn as a Yule scent. Fortunately, however, it looks like we'll have this in the catalog for awhile. Welcome to my top ten, Yew Trees, I just have to figure out who gets knocked down a peg to make room for you!

[Ms Density]

Sniffing from the imp, not sure about this. It smells too sharp.

 

Wet on my skin, there is something berryish, but it's a bright, tart berry. The pine in this is cleanser pine, but the astringent aspect goes away with the drydown. And the berries go away too, giving way to a something completely unexpected. The throw of this is interesting, it reminds me a bit of….suntan oil? Can it be coconut or something otherwise nutty? It's woodsy, but as if it's the wood of a coconut tree. It's not plasticky either, it’s a woodsy evergreen, nutty, subdued coconut scent which is incredibly nice. Either that, or something is incredibly amiss in the olfactory receptors of my brain.

 

The smell of this when I put my nose to my arm is very different from the throw. I like the throw more than the up-close. Up close, there's something reminding me of sour fruity candy as it dries--must be the berry again.

 

I’m pretty sure I like this a lot, but I’ll have to try it again.

[Little Bird]

I recoiled in horror when I sniffed this one from the imp. It is insanely sharp and cold. On me, it stays pretty much the same. It's like Pine Sol cleanser, only not as sweet as the cleanser. I grew up in the middle of a pine forest in Missouri... and this doesn't smell like the real thing to me at all

 

I had Yew Trees on for three hours before I just washed it off. It didn't sweeten or change much at all. It stayed astringent and continued reminding me of some sort of harsh 'pine-scented' cleanser. It got a weird suntan oil-ish scent in the background for a while, but no change other than that.

 

I'll be swapping my imp. I can't imagine ever wanting to wear this one. It's very not me.

[Nepthys]

I almost ordered this based on the name - my favorite Plath poem is "The Moon and the Yew Tree" - but the notes didn't appeal. What a fool I was! I got this as a frimp and what a surprise it is. I really, really like this. Luckily my experience has differed from the other reviews - there's no astringency here. This goes on and stays on as a lovely pale green chilliness, a refreshing whiff of snow and pine trees on one of those perfect winter days that is just cold enough to make you feel alive. It's actually the most holiday-ish of everything in my Yule order, and I'm really enjoying the illusion of a walk in the winter woods, since I'm actually in a sunny desert. Gorgeous scent.

[AliBabble]

ooh, this is nice. forest-y and refreshing. pine-y yes, but not pine sol. more of a mix of various evergreens, and pine cones, sap etc. actually i get a mintyness, a bit like wintergreen, i guess. there is a faint berry-fruitiness, a little sweet, but very faint. it's outdoorsy, fresh and foresty, basically. pleasant...it's calming, actually.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Heavily pine - in fact, pine is practically the only thing detectable. But I can also sense the berries, although they are juniper berries, rather than something sweeter and 'more fun.' It is extremely sharp and astringent, and while I wouldn't call it a chilling fragrance, there is absolutely no warmth in it.

 

On me: On my skin it gets softer and...powdery? Huh, that was unexpected and must be explored further.

It is rather like sawdust to me now. A bit coconutty, perhaps. Pine is gone. Hints of berry are gone.

Yes, coconut and light wood. That's not at all what I expected, and it doesn't seem even a bit gloomy. It is interesting, but I wouldn't wear it often, if at all. But it is definitely unique.

[LiberAmoris]

Yew-Trees goes on with a menthol-y eucalyptus-y burst for me, but that edge quickly backs down and I'm left with light pine and a sappy resin that *almost* has a dark coconut or leather vibe to it. It sounds weird, but it's really good. Because this evergreeny blend is tempered by that sap note, this is very wearable for me and much more elegant and unusual than I was expecting. For some reason I keep thinking of the blue spruce, but this is darker and greener than that, and more exotic.

 

I'm really surprised by how much I like Yew-Trees, especially on the dry down. I'll definitely be keeping my imp to wear through the winter season.

[theshapeshifter]

In the imp: A fresh-cut Yule tree!

 

Initial application: A BURST of evergreen, but with a bitter edge to it - just enough that I can see why it's in the 'poisonous plants' category. Not sure about the bitterness, but it's intriguing. And strong.

 

Drydown: Here's the shocker... it was SO strong in the imp, and initially on the skin, but after about 15 minutes my skin ate it. All of it. Leaving nary a trace, even though I tested it pretty generously. Woe.

 

So... a promising, interesting scent, but it'll go to swaps since it's just too fleeting on me.

[allidavie]

Piney. Evergreeny. Fir real. (Sorry, couldn't resist). This is evergreen-forest-in-a-bottle, which is lovely as a concept but just doesn't work on me as a scent. Would be a fabulous scent to use for home fragrance type things, especially around the holidays. This reminds me quite a bit of Mistletoe (Yule '04) if memory serves, but I just sent that one to a new home so I can't compare and contrast. Very nice, but not the Skadi stand in I was hoping for.... Talvikku here I come!

[sideviewhotel]

In the imp this is like contained pine sap. It made me think of all the time I spent attempting to climb the pine tree that used to be in our front yard when I was younger. I would come in the house with sticky smelly hands and that was exactly what it smelled like.

 

Once this dries down, it gets SWEET! And kinda berry-ish. I dunno, but I like it.

[QueenFae]

This is a very soft, subdued type of pine scent. It's smooth and pleasant, it doesn't have that sharp bite that some strong pine notes have. The evergreen boughs are undershadowed by a pleasant, woodsy note that makes me think of fresh cut christmas trees. I can't really smell the berries individually, but there is a hint of sweetness hiding beneath it all. This is a very interesting pine scent, and this would be good for people who think they don't like pine. Try this one, it's definitely innovative.

[empi girl]

Yew Trees in the imp is soft pine.

 

On, the pine strengthens for about 2 mintues, then softens to a gentle spruce with a sweet and nutty bottom. After 10 minutes, this has become coconut (I looked to make sure I wasn't the only one that got that!), the same coconut as in Perversion. It lasts and lasts, and reminds me of Perversion without the leather note that doesn't work on me. It is now 4 hours since I applied, and I am just beginning to get a little berry note. It's a beautiful scent.

 

I really really like this!

[maewitch]

Maybe my nose is all faulty, but I don't get pine or fir or anything distictly tree-like in this. it's a gummy, vaguely medicinal smell, that's not precisely off-putting, but not quite something I would wear either.

 

Very strange. My immediate thought it "umm, no", but I'll give it another try at a later date.

[sophia_helix]

In the bottle:

 

A very sharp evergreen scent.

 

Wet:

 

Yes, definitely an evergreen tree. I think there's probably some juniper in here. I don't get the strong pine notes that everyone else is talking about, at least not in comparison with Dublin, Skadi, Nocnitsa, etc. It's just incredibly green and sappy, almost a little worrisome. I want some sweetness to make it more wearable.

 

Drydown:

 

Sigh. Be careful what you wish for...

 

The berries showed up after five minutes, and had a wild party on my wrist. These aren't the herbal berries of Bewitched or Baneberry, however -- and not even as well-matched as the berries in Skadi. No, they're sugary sweet fake berries, and after a minute or so, it's pure Christmas candle, waxy scent and all. Which would be nice in an oil burner, if I didn't already have three million Christmas candles.

 

Foiled again by my sugary skin chemistry!

[SeaMonkey]

very strong PINE. There is a cypress tree and a row of pine trees in front of my house and this smells like those trees together.

 

Its a little too strong for me

 

 

*edit- for some reason, this is BRILLIANT over any of the pumpkin patch scents*

Edited December 31, 2005 by SeaMonkey

[harmonyfb]

Well, I'm disappointed.

 

In the bottle: Sharp, medicinal.

 

Wet: Pine-sol. Nothing but nasty pine-scented cleaner.

 

Dry: Stale cigarettes, I swear to Goddess. Stale cigarettes with a whiff of Pine-sol. Ugh!

 

I'm so happy I didn't slather.

[Voleuse]

On first application, this is the shadowed depths of an evergreen forest, silent and darkly majestic. Unlike other BPAL evergreen scents I've tried, this isn't at all snowy on me. It's cold, but dry.

 

After a while, the blend sweetens, but it's the sweetness of sap, almost frozen but starting to thaw. This isn't a scent to enjoy, it's a scent that inspires reverence. It's beautiful.

[Orodemniades]

When wet, smells like pine and wood - actual, freshly cut wood. It's...odd. I'm not sure I'd wear this outside of ritual. As it dries it smells more of juniper than straight-up pine. And little bit minty, like toothpaste?

 

I agree with other reviewers, it's very outdoorsy, but for me, not the strong pine of Mistletoe, it's very woodsy. Not getting any berry, though? Lots of throw on drydown.

 

Overall I think I like this, and could still smell it on my arm the next morning.

 

Oro

[Penance]

Preconceived notions:

 

This sounded a bit like Skadi to me, so I was instantly interested, especially considering it's being a general catalogue scent. I'm a bit worried about the "sweet berries", but the rest sounds wonderful.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, boy, that's definitely not like Skadi. It actually reminds me more of Loup Garou than anything for some reason...a very sharp, but deeper pine note that's almost juniper-like. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this because pines like this tend to go "cleaning fluid" on me.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Interesting...this strikes me as being a sort of combination of Loup Garou, Burial and Yuletide. It's strange in a way I'm not sure I like. This may be a bit too close to "cleaning fluid" for me, because it's starting to get sharper as soon as it touches my skin, the same way Burial started to after a while of wearing it (hence the reason I got rid of it).

 

Dry down:

 

Pretty much the same as when it was wet. This is an odd one for me...logistically it should be perfect for me - woodsy, piney, intense - but it's just...off somehow. I know I won't love all pine scents but I'm surprised by Yew-Trees' not feeling right to me. I'd almost lump it in the same category as Gnome which also went a bit odd on me. I don't think this is for me, which is pretty upsetting.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wanted to love this, but it's just not working for me. Something in here feels "off" for some reason.

[bristlecone]

I don't find this sharp, bitter, or strong at all. In fact, it's pretty gentle and as it dries, smells more like paper than wood to me. Then the slightest suggestion of berries makes its appearance. It's a happy scent.

 

Disappears pretty quickly, though.

[aidenraine]

I could smell this the second I uncorked the imp. PINE.

I feel like I must have a headcold because the strong scent of what really resembles Eucalyptus has filled up this room.

 

On my wrist it makes my nose sting with it's sharp, peppery aroma. The berry seems to be trying to fight its way through, but is being beaten into submission.

 

The drydown on this is actually rather pleasant: it's a sweet berry with a bit of spicy Christmas tree overtop. It's almost smells like fennel as well.

 

While this was very strong at first, it gets sucked into my skin very quickly.

 

An hour later I smell sweet berries and powder. It's almost as though a blackcurrant is in here. If this was the starting aroma I'd be sold!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: crisp, almost menthol-like, woods, with a touch of sweet berries.

on: evergreen and tart berries. very pretty.

1 hour later: this smells like evergreen and woods.

2 hours later: light and tree-like.

overall: nice, but not really me.

[kettu]

got to try this at the Toronto meet'n'sniff this afternoon. Lynx walked away with the imp, so I'll probably try it again at some point.

 

sadly, I got no berries from this. I wanted berries. I wanted berries badly because otherwise it's all sharp and green and strong. And then, when it dried down, it got all woody. Berries would have added the perfect balance to it. *pout*

 

at least I have Talvikuu.

[Miss Lynx]

At first sniff, this was Loup-Garou with a touch of berry... That same sharp, astringent greenness, like eucalytpus, pine, and maybe a few other sharp, nose-bitey ingredients, but with a touch of sweetness to balance them. Not bad, though not overly exciting either. A little reminiscent of Yuletide, but not , but gentler and less perfumey.

 

I was hoping the berries would come out more on the drydown, but they didn't really. It was pleasant enough, in a foresty sort of way, but didn't really grab me as much as some of the better foresty scents do.

 

What did eventually come out, though not until after it had been on for a while, was a not-entirely-pleasant dry woody note, which I recognized as having been in Red Queen and Hamadryad, and didn't like in either of those places either. Something about it smells -- well, as someone else has already said, a little off. At least on my skin.

 

Up until that point it wasn't bad, but when the dry wood note settled in and seemed to be planning to stick around for a while, I succumbed to the temptation to cover it up with Scherezade (I suppose I could have just washed it off, but the imp rack was closer than the bathroom).

 

Grade: B in the early stages, C- later on.

Edited January 19, 2006 by Miss Lynx