Wolf's Heart

[cranberry]

Grants courage under extreme conditions, helps overcome fear of death, and strengthens the fortitude of artists and businessmen, enabling them to further their goals.

This is a bright red oil along the lines of any of the Ars Draconis oils, Love Me or Fiery Wall of Protection. Once applied, the first thing I smell is dragon’s blood. This reminds me a lot of Love Me, which I adore, and Fiery Wall of Protection, which I like very much (and find to be quite effective). The properties of this oil call for it to grant courage and strengthen fortitude, which is definitely related to the properties of Fiery Wall of Protection. At this point, I need some fortitude in business so this is a good oil for me to test. I could probably use some Road Opener too or Block Buster but that’s a different discussion.

After this has been on a bit, it remains a pretty straight dragon’s blood scent. It’s a bit floral – I can’t tell if it’s actually an addition of jasmine or just the jasmine-like qualities of dragon’s blood. There’s something a bit spicy in the background, again similar to Fiery Wall.

Overall impression – it doesn’t last too long, so frequent reapplication would be necessary, but I like the scent and like it’s intentions, so that wouldn’t be a problem. I’m very glad that I got to try this – thanks GC swap!

[Melantha]

I think I smell honeysuckle! And possibly jasmine, I'm not sure. A delicate floral that is easy on my nose. I keep sniffing it, and as far as its properties.... I'm feeling a whole lot more in control than I was an hour ago! Better able to handle adversity this weekend.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Given the color, I was not surprised to smell good old dragon's blood.

 

Wet: When I first apply this, I can briefly smell the oily base that I pick up in many of the Voodoo Blends, but that goes away quickly.

 

Drydown and wear: This is a very light scent, as other have mentioned. You would need to reapply. I get straight dragon's blood, and nothing else from the blend. I'll certainly keep the imp around, and I'm sure I'll have reason to put it to the test soon enough!

[filigree_shadow]

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that this blend definitely has dragon's blood in it. I'm not sure of the other notes though -- I would say something woodsy and maybe a dark floral note. It's a little sweet and a little earthy, exactly the sort of scent I like to wear.

 

As for the effect, I'm going to have to admit that I'm biased. One of the reasons I like dragon's blood so much is that it has a calming effect on me. It smells comforting to me, and it smells like me. Sweet but grounded, unusual and playful. So any time I wear a blend that contains dragon's blood I automatically feel soothed.

 

But I've been having a lot of trouble with insomnia lately, generally related to anxiety. And my anxiety attacks are always the same, they start with a sudden eye-widening pulse-quickening thought: "Oh my God, at some point I will die, I won't be here, the world will go on without me, no more consciousness, I won't see, I won't hear, I won't laugh, this body will be rotting in the ground, no no no no no that can't happen to me." And then I suddenly leap out of bed and have to distract myself with something for an hour until I can try to go to sleep again. This has been going on for about 7 years. It happens only when it's dark, usually when I'm in bed. I would try anything to make it stop -- and I'm definitely very pleased to try something as lovely as Wolf's Heart. Maybe this will become my bedtime BPAL.

 

I already have Wolf's Heart on my list of bottles to order with the next update. I'm also waiting on a bottle of the TAL Wolf's Heart that I ordered a couple of weeks ago, so it'll be interesting to compare the two.

[Inanna9]

I'm just like filigree_shadow when it comes to this; dragon's blood is my comfort scent. I have a very old stash of it, nearly twenty years old, and it is my personal fiery wall of protection. I break it out for banishing and boosting power in rituals.

 

Wolf's Heart has dragon's blood aplenty, and works very well with similar results, using just a quick dab on my heart chakra, and sometimes one on my solar plexus. Maybe it's a Pavlovian response, but I often feel stronger just smelling it. And it's the result that counts anyway, so count me a fan of Wolf's Heart.

 

This also has a woody note to it, very similar to the one I detect in the chakra blends upon their drydown, so I have every confidence that this blend is put together well. I'll be curious to try the TAL version, but it will have to be really amazing to get me to give up my bottle of lovely red Wolf's Heart

[midnight_aeval]

Big herbal scent to me. In the vial it's almost sweet, but now it smells like herbs. A unique scent, but not one for me.

 

I'm not one who can pick a note out of a scent, but I do get that Dragon's Blood sniff in the vial.

[edenssixthday]

Wolf's Heart - When first applied, I distinctly smell dragon's blood resin combined with something herbal. At this point, the blend has fairly good throw -- at least six inches. However, as soon as it dries down, the dragon's blood scent disappears, and what is left is a warm and herbal scent that is typical of the Voodoo blends. It is a very comforting scent, and I'm very drawn to it. After it dries down, the throw subsides significantly and I can hardly smell it unless I'm focusing on the scent. After about 65-70 minutes, the scent is almost entirely gone with the exception if the faintest trace of herbs. I was really blown away when I read the description of it saying that it helps ease the fear of death, and while I'm not afraid of death myself, I'm currently very afraid of my mother's death. During the first hour or so that I wore this blend, fears of mom's death that have been plagueing me for a couple weeks now dissipated and receded into the background and I was able to approach my tasks with clarity and concentration and wasn't distracted by the worry or fear that has been my life for so many days on end now. I would say that this blend does exactly what it's supposed it, and for me, it's such a blessing to have discovered this blend at this point in time.

[SultryWolf]

Wolf is one of my main totems (actually my within totem – “teacher of finding one’s heart’s joy and being faithful to one’s personal truths; protector of one’s sacred space), and so I have eagerly tried all the Wolf scents. This one is exceptionally comforting to me. I’ve just ordered a 10mL and will be using it in my little wolfhead scent locket.

I’ve put off reviewing it for a long time as I didn’t feel any description could do it justice!

imp and on: Sweet, spicy, and earthy, all at once. Light dragon’s blood, maybe a little violet or lavender, or is it myrrh, or perhaps a soft patchouli?

[jarvenpa]

There is a place along the edge of the woods where I have, in summer, followed the old logging roads with my dogs. I used to walk there especially with a rescued Wolf hybrid. The hillside is full of sweet everlasting flowers, that dry to a papery whiteness in the summer heat, and there are cool bits of dappled shade where one might stop to rest. Below this point there is a meandering trickle of water. In the winter it is a small stream, but in summer it is simply a thread of wetness, coming from one of the deep springs. Near this place wild lilies grow, scenting the air with their haunting, clear fragrance.

 

There, everything, for a moment, is safe and clear.

 

Wolf's Heart is the fragrance of those times--there is a sweetness, there is a touch of dryness, like the everlastings, but most of all there is a sense of being at home in the wild world, companioned by wildness, and afraid of nothing.

 

One's heart is at rest. This is home, and the center of everything.

 

My imp of Wolf's Heart was a generous gift; I will be getting a larger bottle. Comfort and courage in a lovely fragrance? Amazing.

[Shura]

On me, it smells like flowers, water, and spices.

 

And, I have to say, that it does make me feel safe, and more cofident. ^^

 

And it's right when it says it helps artists. I do a lot of art work, and I make sure to wear this when I start a project.

[Vampy]

Oh, wow. This one is wonderful. Fiery and masculine, yet sweet and comforting. Slightly warming to the skin. I can't seem to pick out any individual notes - possibly clove? And perhaps a little dragon's blood? And something sweetly floral. I'm not sure about any of those though, it's so subtly blended. I smell it and it's like a brush of warm fur, and it just smooths that constant undertone of anxiety right away. It's turning sweeter and less masculine, though no less gorgeous, as I sit here sniffing my arm.

 

ETA 9/11/06 - HONEYSUCKLE?! Where on earth did that come from?! I'm sure it wasn't there before...

Edited September 11, 2006 by Vampy

[Trish]

In the Imp: Mmm sweet warm dragon's blood along with definite florals.

 

Wet: Dragon's blood, with a spicy undertone. Cloves maybe. The dragon's blood is softer than the other ones I've tried, more subdued.

 

Drydown: Oooh that has to be narcissus! Three months ago I didn't know what it smelt like, now I recognise it as a good floral. And now there's a jasmine note creeping in. I love jasmine. But it's a soft jasmine and I'm not getting the brief stabbing headache that I usually get from it. In any case this has the potential to be a floral I like - and despite the dragon's blood it is most definitely a floral. I'm not so sure that spicy note is clove now though, it's something dryer almost peppery to me. This is intriguing.

 

Dry: Ok that's definitely jasmine and I have now got the headache. The dragon's blood is lending a resiny almost fruity layer to it underneath which is quite a strange mixture to me. I love both, yet together they're just kinda weird. Not unpleasant though. The narcissus has faded dramatically, as has the spiciness. In fact the later has disappeared completely.

 

A little later: The jasmine and dragon's blood have settled together now and the scent isn't quite so weird. On me this is dragon's blood with the lightness and sweetness of jasmine. It's warm, medium strength and has very little throw. Usually I like a fair bit of throw but in this case I'm glad it hasn't. Not sure why though!

 

Later Still: This is nearly all dragon's blood now - soft subdued dragon's blood with just a breath of florals and musk. It's very comforting and I wish it was like this from the start. It starts fading away quite rapidly once it gets to this stage too, about 2-3 hours after applying.

 

This is quite nice especially after a couple of hours, although I'm not sure I'd wear it often purely as a perfume oil. However I'm yet to test it as a voodoo oil, so I'll be keeping the imp for a while at least.

Edited September 17, 2006 by Trishek

[Faeried]

I can't even begin to place or name the scents, but I like it. It's a little strong, but there this sweetness peeking out beneath it. Not sure if I'll add it to the collection. so for now it goes to the maybes.

[eflort]

I received a frimp of Wolf's Heart from the labbies from my last order (thank you!).

 

Just looking at the oil, you can tell there's dragon's blood in it, but for some reason I was expecting a spicy scent. Instead, after the initial dragon's blood fades, I get a nice sweet soft lilac / jasmine scent, maybe with some other white flower in there. It's very calming and comforting.

 

I probably wouldn't have picked this one, left to my own devices. But, I love it, and I'll be ordering a big bottle soon! So thank you!

[sofiaviolet]

I smell a hint of dragon's blood, plus some floral. Maybe a white floral of some kind. It's not very strong. There's also an underlying spiciness that I like.

[steffanina]

Wolf's Heart-

 

In Bottle: Kind of spicy-soapy.

 

Wet: Once again, sort of spicy. And clean, soapy-smelling.

 

Dry: Goodness, this one was gone pretty quickly, with just the memory of spice left behind. Oh, well. (At least it's a Voodoo blend that doesn't go noxious on me. Just, not lovable.)

 

Overall: Not interesting for me.

[supremegoddessofall]

Very unusual. I'm really not sure *what* I'm smelling. I think some dragon's blood, but also something herbal. Vaguely smoky and reminds me of a forest in winter.

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: I primarily smell dragon's blood. It is not alone in there, but I am having trouble picking out the others.

 

Wet: This is warm and rich, but still mostly dragon's blood. I hope the dragon's blood does not go soapy on me.

 

Drying down: The undertone almost smells citrusy.

 

Dry: The other notes are reminding me of other Voodoo Blends, but the dragon's blood steals the show.

 

Later: I wore this to an appointment I was dreading. I wanted to hide or play sick. I did not. I steeled myself, went through it with honesty and straightforwardness. I will have to try Wolf's Heart again for more information.

Edited November 7, 2006 by blackfelicula

[SeaLady]

Numnum, this smells like dragon's blood, honeysuckle, and honey on me. Very comforting, it eases that tension I get in my solar plexus region when I'm feeling nervous.

On my boyfriend, it was apparently just bitter floral. So it's mineeee now!

Voodoo properties: A. I just had to drop off said boyfriend, and drive an hour home all alone, and I was not the usual emotional disaster (I won't see him again for a month, boo). Courage - check!

 

Overall: I like it a whole lot!

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

No notes to help me here... pine? Resin? Incense? Something spicy, something floral.

 

Wet:

Spice? Resin? Smoke? Wood? Citrus? Floral? Whatever's in it, it smells warm.

 

Dry down:

Okay, looked at the forum review thread to get some help. First, this had a long dry-down, and it smelled pretty different by the end. In the end, it's sweet clove, sandalwood, and a floral, probably jasmine. I think there also is incense, and maybe a hint of cinnamon. I also wouldn't be surprised if there is just a touch of pine, and I'm willing to believe that there may be dragon's blood resin in here, too.

 

Final thoughts:

This is actually very pleasant. I wasn't a big fan of the bottle/wet stages, but I actually like the morphed dry scent quite a bit. Not necessarily so much that I would wear it a lot - it goes all manly-sultry on me after a long time (I attribute this to my chemistry) and I'm not a fan of that. But the middle stage is very pleasant.

[jasmine]

This is more subdued and green than I expected. I think there might be verbena in it -- some note in there is green and has a trace of citrusiness all at the same time. It's not loud, though... not at all. It has a warmth that I did expect.

 

Time passes. I still don't know what I'm smelling -- it's layered green stuff, with citrus. There's some white floral, but not very much. People are mentioning dragon's blood resin, but I'm not really getting it. I think I sense clove, instead... something faintly spicy.

 

The green citrus is backing off. The dragon's blood (yes, it seems to be dragon's blood after all) is coming forward. Whatever's in here, it is either very responsive to skin chemistry, or it is very metamorphic. I would never have guessed that the initial scent would turn into this one. (I sniffed the wand again to double-check, and it doesn't smell a thing like dragon's blood -- still high-pitched and green! Bizarre.)

 

After half an hour, it fades away to almost nothing, but then it comes back after another half hour. At that point, dragon's blood is the strongest scent in it, and possibly some other spice, though I can't identify it. The greenery, citrus, and floral have all split town.

 

At all points, I've liked this scent, despite its chaotic tendencies. I'm sure I will wear it again.

[dragonrain]

I definitely smell dragon's blood, which I love, but that quickly fades once on my skin. It's very floral and warm, very comforting. I think I smell honeysuckle as well. I've been wearing it for two hours now and it's just beginning to fade.

 

I suffer from social anxiety and am often paranoid and worrisome. I will have to wear this the next time I leave the house and post an update on its effect. I'm also a writer/artist, so maybe this will inspire me to complete the projects I'm currently behind on, lol.

 

Overall, I love the scent. I already feel much calmer and my head has cleared. I will be purchasing a big bottle as soon as I can afford it.

[lookingglass]

Mmm...dragon's blood, rich and deep, slightly spicy and creamy, with a bit of that powdery Voodoo note. There is a floral quality evocative of honeysuckle and lilac. I love this blend so very much. It is both soothing and uplifing, as someone has said before. It is like Dragon's Eye and Eos together. I expect to wear this as I wish for Spring, as well as when I need renewed faith in my ever changing creative abilities.

[Druby]

First sniff I can smell insence. On me it smells spicy but florally. I'm not sure what I think of it. It's interesting.

[presotm]

I wanted to like this one, but I'm yet to find a Voodoo blend that works on me. This one just turned to watery, soapy Dragon's Blood on me.