The Scales of Deprivation

[feline.by.design]

Thin, dark, and shadowed. A scent that offers no sustenance, comfort or satiety: lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum.

 

The first sniff of the Scales makes me wonder why I didn't just get a 5 ml rather than this paltry imp, as I did with the Bow and Crown of Conquest and Death on a Pale Horse. It smells warm and cozy. I seem to smell something that smells like leather on my skin, but it might be the frankincense or sandalwood or labdanum, or a combo of the three. Or maybe it's the sage. In any case, it's stellar.

 

I love this, I really do. It smells more masculine on me than it may on others, and my nose is definitely picking up the more "macho" notes over the lemon peel.

 

Can't... stop... sniffing my arm...

 

*aaaah*

 

Well, looks like I'll have to get a bottle of this one. Thus far, the three out of the four Come and See scents I've tried so far have been eerily fantastic on me. I've got one more to try tonight and if all for work well, I'll be convinced I'm some sort of horsewoman for the apocalypse or something. Even though I can't ride a horse. A moped or scooter, maybe...

 

In any case, the drydown for the Scales of Deprivation is excellent. It's woodsy and sexy and love. I'll wear this when I'm plotting destruction.

 

-doreen

 

Edited to add Lab description and that I want babies with this scent.

Edited June 17, 2006 by Shollin

[Syzygy]

In the interest of saving time, instead of hashing out a regular review, I'm just going to copy the email I sent to my mother. Before she got fed up and went Congregational, she used to mourn about not having tried hard enough to give her kids a proper Catholic upbringing. I, on the other hand, have repeatedly thanked her for this perceived laxity. Having provided that bit of backstory:

 

Subject: Well, this should amuse you...

 

Today I'm wearing an oil that I like a lot and find very comforting and will probably purchase a whole bottle of. What does it smell like? CHURCH INCENSE. I smell like freakin' CATHOLIC MASS.

 

It's NOT FUNNY.

 

Love,

 

Your lucky-to-have-escaped-a-heavily-Catholic-upbringing daughter

 

P.S.: It's called The Scales of Deprivation, if you were wondering.

P.P.S.: I'm going out cruising for altar boys after work.

[Naamah_Darling]

This is a lemony incense scent, redolent of sandalwood, lemon/sage, and vetiver.

 

On, the incense warms up, frankincense and sandalwood. The sage note is delicious and herbal, and combines with the lemon to give it an astringent quality that takes the edge off the sandalwood's sweetness.

 

I've smelled labdanum before in Snake Charmer and Hades, but I don't think I know it well enough to pick it out. It's supposed to be a resin derived from rockroses. I suppose it may be what is responsible for the grainy, darkly sweet gummy note in this, almost like a really rich amber.

 

From the descriptions I expected something more high-pitched and uncomfortable, but naturally my body eats the greenery and lemons and just leaves the incense and the clean lavender fougere to play around with the vetiver. They're playing nice, though. This is a nice gender neutral scent that strikes me as a bit more sexy than incense smells usually do. I like it quite a bit.

 

Fans of cerebral, incense blends might enjoy this, as might fans of clean scents. I have a strong feeling this isn't quite doing what it's supposed to do on me, so I'm not sure of my ability to properly review this one. It's very hard to get a handle on.

[audesapere]

In Imp: Strong! It almost blistered my sinuses. Which is a good thing, actually.

 

Wet- Black pepper. Fresh, coarsly ground black pepper. I recoiled a little.

 

Dry-strong lavender that fades to a sweet, perfumy base. This smells 'old'. I could see an aristocrat wearing this to receive Marie Antoinette. I smell a little lemon.

 

Later: I love it! It was strong, but not offensive or obtrusive. I could smell it when I woke up this morning-I applied a dab at about midnight and woke about seven thirty. Jeff seemed to really like it, too.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Thin wood, bone-dry, and dried, withered herbs. Dry dry dry. It reminds me of photos from drought-stricken lands, hard cracked earth where a pond used to be.

 

Wearing: Parched bare trees clawing frantically at the sky. I know the Scales represent Famine, but I’m getting a sense of powerful thirst here, rather than hunger. (The two are linked, of course; no water means no crops will grow… but this dryness is very specifically thirst. And I’m chugging ice water now just because I can.)

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Lavender and labdanum, very antiseptic.

 

First on: Labdanum is the stronger note here, spiked with lavendar and lemon peel.

 

After a bit: Very earthy and slightly fresh. The sage is coming forth as well as the vetiver.

 

A bit more: Hmm, the sage is dominating, as I thought it would, with the labdanum hiding under sheer skirts of lavendar. My skin has destroyed any citrus hints as well as any hint of sandalwood or frankincense that there might have been.

[sarahj]

The Scales of Deprivation

 

in imp: a light, faint scent of lemon and sage

 

wet: still very faint...I can smell lemon, sage, and lavender

 

dry: a warm, light scent, mainly of lavender and frankincense...after 2 hours it has pretty much faded to nothing

 

verdict: nice, but fades too quickly

[indicolite]

This is a very cooling scent, with the lemon peel, sage and lavender. However, there is something there that does not let this get into a typical mold. It makes it a fascinating blend rather than just a cooling scent.

 

I like this one very much; I was right to dream of it in my order. Quite likely a bottle candidate.

[dragonryder]

The scent is awesome.... The lemon just hints under the sandalwood, giving it a light breezy air, but with just a little kick with the frankincense.

[themerrybaker]

Scales of Depp initially struck me as musky, but the more I wear it the more I enjoy the dusty sage and wood playing with the sharper lemon and vetiver. Its aromaticity makes this good for sticky weather.

[PurringPulsar]

The Scales of Deprivation

 

In the imp: soft lemon, sage, lavender, and labdanum-this labdanum note smells just like the rock rose in my garden, the smell of the leaves on a warm day.

Wet on skin: now I can smell the frankincense, and the scent becomes a lovely, warm, resin-herbal scent.

Dry on skin: this is nice. A soft, warm, balsamic and herbal scent, with lemon, herbs and resins. It seems quite a Mediterranean evening scent, it's the scent of warm evening air filled with citrus and herb scents, in here this is combined with resins-warm frankincense and labdanum, and soft lavender and a little bit of sandalwood. I really like this, it's warm and comforting to me, the scent of summer evenings on holiday.

After a while: this scent is very soft, quite faint, on me, but I really like it. It really does remind me of holidays in Greece and the south of France. And the frankincense is gorgeous-adding just a touch of incense, wafting through the fragrance. This is a very smooth, balmy scent.

I don't get much vetiver here-it must be a very light variety. But I do get lots more labdanum on the drydown, after a few hours it's a honey like scent with a hint of amber and musk to it.

Verdict: far from being a deprived, famished scent (though this is a quiet, subtle scent with a hint of emptiness and openness, it's also peaceful) this scent is incredibly pleasant to my nose, mainly because it makes me think of summer holidays. It has a scent to it that makes me think of Mediterranean evenings-it's is warm, balmy, and herbal, with a little lemon and some lovely resin notes to it. It reminds me of being on holiday and going out in the evening when the heat had calmed a bit, the soft golden light of the sun going down, the dry and dusty pathways, the chirping of crickets, the shrubs, herbs and fruit groves, mountains and hills in the distance and the sea nearby. This scent, to me, is calm, quiet, almost meditative, very subtle. It's not something I need a bottle of but I'm keeping the imp around just for the good memories it evokes.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Death on a Pale Horse, Arcana, Nero, Calliope

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[theshapeshifter]

This one was a surprise... it was a frimp, and I couldn't remember the description of the notes until I looked it up. This is a much warmer scent on me than I would've expected... sun-baked sandalwood with a bit of something fresh, and just a bit of peppery spice. A pleasant surprise!

 

However, my skin seems to eat it - two hours later and it's barely detectable. So I think I'll use up the imp, but probably not a bottle.

[provocateur]

In bottle: Woody! Mostly sandalwood, some incense/resinous hints

 

On skin, wet: Mm. White sage! Which then morphs into labdanum and frankincense.

 

On skin, dry: Vetiver and sage.

 

Conclusion: Absolutely fabulous. I can die now. I've found a non-patchouli, non-cinnamon, non-dragon's blood blend I absolutely adore.

Rating: 5/5

[sofaking6]

I loved this scent in the diffuser. It's so complex that as it filled the living room it actually distracted me from everything else I tried to do...I probably should have tried to get my boyfriend to come over <g>

 

I love that it walks right on the line between masculine and feminine...it's not gender-neutral but rather it has elements of both that make it both familiar and intriguing at the same time.

 

Wherever will I get more of it!

 

6

[elspeth]

I can smell the lavender underneath in this scent.But there is something in it that actually overpowers the lavender which really surprises me. Maybe the labdanum? I really don't smell any of the other notes that are in it. It smells golden and kind of like amber. I really like this one. I saw the lavender listed and thought it would be another headache but it seems to be the lavender for those who normally can't wear it.

[edenssixthday]

The Scales of Deprivation - I wasn’t impressed with this scent in the vial. It seemed very run-of-the-mill. However, once I applied it, I thought it might not be that bad, after all. It's a very clean and slightly citrus when I first apply it, but within the first 10 minutes, the citrus scent moves to the background and in its place is the clean, rain-washed scent of fresh air and herbs, which, when I read the scent description, I immediately identify as the white sage I also smell and love in Annabel Lee! This is an exquisitely-blended scent, and as I sniff my skin while reading the scent description, I can only barely detect the tiniest hint of vetiver and lavender – neither of which I would have identified had I not read the scent description. The rest of the notes completely elude me. This scent sticks very close to my skin and fades within 30 minutes, so it’s not one I’m going to choose to wear often at all, but on someone who can wear it stronger and longer (or for someone who adores subtle scents), I can’t recommend this one enough. It is really incredible.

[porcelain72]

In the bottle: a perfumey lavender, not overtly masculine or feminine.

 

Initial application: same, though the sandalwood is showing up a bit. I can usually detect that spicy, smoky note of incense, but it's not showing up on me. My sniffer must be off, I'm not getting any of the complex, individual notes some of the other commenters reported.

 

Drydown: this smells less like an oil blend and more like a standard lavender-based perfume or cologne. It's nice but not remarkable, and it has very little staying power on me.

 

Smiley rating: (the closest I could find to "average")

[forspecial_plate]

Wow...on my second try I pretty much found a new favorite with The Scales of Deprivation. It seems to hit all my buttons in the right ways. All the notes contribute to the scent as a whole, and are beautifully balanced and blended in harmony. It's exactly the right combination of sweet and dry, resins and herbs...I just love it. It's complex but also sort of subdued, and makes me feel very sexy. The first thing I notice is the sweetness of the resins, which aren't TOO sweet, a problem I've had with resin scents lately. But not here. The herbs, lavender, and lemon peel float in the background, keeping it from becoming too sticky, adding a refreshing element. As it dries, it gains a savory quality, due to the sage I think. And the sandalwood is there all along. Sometimes sandalwood is too strong on me but here it is perfect. The first time I wore this the sandalwood was a little iffy...but the second time it worked really well for me. I hope it behaves! Definitely going on my 5ml bottle list.

[supremegoddessofall]

Very white with a hint of spice, which I think is mostly from the frankincense. I'm not getting citrus at all. The lavender is giving a restful quality that I wasn't expecting.

[PilotKitten]

Lavender without that spicy kick that I normally associate with it. I tend to get a better lavender with the fougere with the BPAL blends. I was expecting the lemon peel to perk this up a bit, but I don't smell it at all. An overabundance of sage perhaps (which I'm slowly discovering that my skin likes to amp up) and a harsh sandalwood (another amper), along with vetiver and frankincense (2 notorious blends that hate me and my skin chemistry)... I think this blend may have almost every single note that I dislike or that doesn't work out on me in it. All it needs now is some dirt and myrrh and I think it may be set!

[smallvoice]

In the imp this smells strongly of lavender, as others have stated. I can't really describe the stages this goes through, but it's not very pleasant first on my skin, and then it smooths out to this lovely, spicy, understated scent. I really like this! The sage takes me to a very calm place, and the vetiver seems to be well behaved and the sandalwood (what sandalwood?) exactly. This is smooth, and there's a feel of amber to it and it's warm, and I love Shollin's assertion that it strongly conveys the feeling of thirst, because that is so very true. I'm going to have to give my imp some wear!

[slave1]

THE SCALES OF DEPRIVATION

 

In Bottle: Lavender and wood

 

On Skin: This scent is so velvety soft, wow! The frankincense seems to be strongest with the beautiful sandalwood coming in second. The lemon peel is so light, it is just a sliver of citrus far in the background but keeps the scent from being too dark. The sage isn’t too medicinal which is nice, it’s a very subtle herbal note in this blend. The lavender is quite strong, but it’s pretty! It’s not the super herbal lavender that usually makes my eyes water. Labdanum can do no wrong in my book and here it is gorgeous. It adds to the soft feel of the scent, so comforting. And last, the vetiver is completely under control. YAY! It does offer a nice earthy note, not the pungent ick it usually turns to on my skin. Somehow all these notes, several which I normally hate, all blend together beautifully. This is a great example of how freaking amazing Beth is. A very pretty scent, one I’d love to use to fall asleep to or smell on my husband as I snuggle him. It reminds me of a much more mellow version of Incantation. Light to medium throw, and a short to average wearlength.

Edited November 22, 2006 by slave1

[AliBabble]

this was a a lab frimp - in the imp, it smells sweet and light, almost honey-like and nectar-y. it is a golden yellow color. i can't tell what i'm smelling, tho...

on my skin, the oil smells more exciting - very herbal, in fact, but still light. a bit woody, sandalwoody - but not overpowering. i don't get much lavender - it must be blended very smoothly with the other scents. this is a pleasant scent, but it doesn't totally grab me. somehow it strikes me as masculine (not something that usually bothers me..) - like "old spice" or something...but not bad.

the woodyness is probably what i smell most here, but again, i don't think this is really "me".

[DEMONDAHLIA]

The Scales of Deprivation...I got this as an imp from the lab. From the description on the lab site I would not have tried this on my own. In the vial I get lavender mixed with a sweet incense .. the dry down is what hooked me ..i get a tangy honey almond scent that is just delicious .. I subjected the boy to testing this out for me as a masculine scent .. and wow .. phenom .. big bottle definatly !!

[whimsitini]

First of all: All frimps are good, but some frimps are better than others. I love the imagination behind the Come and See section.

 

In imp: A very surprising sweetness.

 

Wet: I think it's the lavender and frankincense and maybe the sandalwood. Sandalwood normally over powers me but this is staying rather soft. It smells surprisingly feminine.

 

Dry: Can’t really pick out any individual notes, but it’s quite soft and lovely.