Wolf's Heart

[skepticism]

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

Vial & Wet: Smelled about the same, which was herbal, woody, and kind of potpourri-ish. I applied it on one of my male friends and he said it smelled too sweet on his skin. I didn't smell the sweetness, but I definitely smelled a sort of masculine floral scent. I don't really like Wolf's Heart; it gives me a headache. But it might just be a Pavlovian association with my cheesy/tacky Filipino uncles who practically bathed in a similar cologne when I was a child.

[goblinshark]

In the imp: This smells like medicine and honeysuckle. I like honeysuckle! I do not really like medicine, so I'm wary, but I'll pluck up my wolfy courage and swab some on.

 

Wet on skin: This smells like a single-note honeysuckle!!!

 

Drydown: Man, now it just smells like JASMINE JASMINE JASMINE. Not offensive but you know how overpowering jasmine can be, right? Yeah. I think I will dump this imp into a bottle of conditioner; that way I can still enjoy the scent without being smacked in the face with it.

[mgrazulis]

A freebie from the BPAL lab...

 

In the vial: jasmine and possibly dragon's blood, hard to say.

 

Wet: I can detect another floral, perhaps black orchid...just not sure what it is, as well as an exotic herbal note. None of the notes here are overpowering, nothing decidedly masculine or feminine.

 

Dry: Hmmm, is that bezoin? Something balsamic...This is by far the best part!! Delicately sweet and floral, just a hint of resin. Not what I expected at all. It does have that oily quality like the Voodoo blends I have tried, but the subltety here is unexpected. Stays close to the skin. Comforting and undaunted...like an alpha wolf protecting the pack.

 

I like Wolf's Heart. I can't attest to the effectiveness of the notes, but I am impressed with the scent. The imp stays here.

[marared]

Freebie imp, and this one has a huge throw -- I opened the box and went "hooooooly jasminehoneysuckledragonsblood" (not being entirely sure which it was). It immediately reminded me of Ladon, without the apple. If there are spices in this, I can't really smell them, because the flowers are so overpoweringly sweet, almost to the point of cloying. It's a very pretty smell, but it's way too strong and way too flowery to actually wear.

[Seismogenic]

It's stupid early o'clock on a Friday morning, and I'm getting ready for my math class. I'm too tired to be terrified at this particular moment, but I'm sure that, once I'm less groggy, I will realize the full extent of my nerves about this. It's the first math class I've taken since 2003, and it's differential equations! Scary, no? I've certainly been nervous leading up to this, and it seems like the exact sort of situation that would require reassurance, comfort, and fortitude. Cue Wolf's Heart! I ordered this imp with the beginning of this quarter of school explicitly in mind. Here's hoping it works.

 

In the imp: Something kind of spicy/herbal. I want to say there's rosemary in there, but I am really not certain. Maybe also something floral sweetening the herbs. I wanna know what makes the oil bright red, though!

 

Wet on skin: Curiously, the smell of this seems to be registering in the back of my nasal passages rather than the front. It's still herby-spicy, but I still can't tell you which herbs and spices they are.

 

Drydown: This seems to be getting stronger as it dries. Freshly dry, the spicy element is still most prominent, though there seems to be something sweet cushioning it. I can't quite tell what the sweetness is. It's pretty much the same at the one hour mark: herby and spicy over something sweet., and still quite strong overall.

 

Five hours later: The scent is still very present, and still has the same layering of herby/spicy over sweet. At this point, the sweetness seems like it could be musk rather than something floral, but I honestly can't tell.

 

End of the day: Still a little bit of herby spices.

 

Overall: In some ways, Wolf's Heart reminds me of Coyote, in that it's something planty over something slightly sweet, and that both are very warm blends. Coyote is lighter grasses over lighter sweetness, and Wolf's Heart is thicker herbs and something that's a deeper sort of sweet; to me, this makes sense, considering the animal namesakes of the two blends. But where Coyote simulates the smell of a natural environment, I can't readily think of a place that might smell like Wolf's Heart. I also totally cannot distinguish familiar notes in there. Not that this makes a difference as to whether or not I like this blend, and I do like the smell quite well. As for the voodoo purpose, math class went fine and did not stress me out at all, and I went through the rest of the day feeling generally awesome. That was surely influenced at least in part by the ego stroking that comes with being in an article on CNN.com, but the math class was before I found out the article was in print that day, and I still felt pretty darn good afterward, so I'd like to think Wolf's Heart was involved. It'll definitely get its share of use on days that promise to involve too much stress and work.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Woody with something like jasmine.

On Application

Spicey. I think I smell ginger quite strongly, which is promising, and jasmine, which is worrying.

 

Dry Down

Definitely warm and comforting. Surprisingly subtle. I will wear this a bit more and try it out.

Rating (0-5)

3.5

[toomuch]

I love this! I was afraid to try dragon's blood and didn't know it was in this oil. When I found out I began trying others with that scent and am now a fan. To me this wasn't, Grr I'm strong, watch out. It was more like mama wolf is guarding the den so I'm safe and can curl up with the puppies. I was very stressed out with my man going through a health crisis and this scent REALLY calmed me down. I use it now when I'm letting my mind carry me away, and it is very calming. It's good for sleep, but doesn't induce sleep if I need to be up and around, just calmness and contentment. LOVE it!!

[crebbsgirl]

I didn't get cloves from this blend, but I did get Dragon's blood. This was a little fruity floral, and I think I could detect a bit of jasmine here too. Overall, not really what I'm looking for.

[Magpie]

I originally hoped this would arrive before my job interview last Friday - it actually arrived the day after (international post - go figure!) but I had a tough day today (including a lack of response from said interview indicating that I didn't get the job) so I figured I'd try it on.

 

In the imp: Yup, Dragon's Blood. It's less sweet than the Dragon's Blood blends I've tried previously, which risk being cloying, and grounded by something, possibly the cloves detected by other reviewers, though I can't say I've had that experience. It's also softer so it isn't right out there like the Bloody Sword. It's vibrant and yet calming, plus I love Dragon's Blood, so that's a good start.

 

On: The same, really. It's very pleasant, a nice grounded Dragon's Blood scent that feels warm and delicious. I kept smelling my perfume and going "Huh! That's nice!" I can't really speak for it as a voodoo blend, as the fact that it was associated so much with Dragon's Blood in my mind took away any potential strengthening effect it might have. In addition, I've been a bit of an emotional wreck today, full of fear and worry, and I didn't find it particularly comforting, but I wasn't really expecting to. I suspect that, for me, a 'strong' blend would be more fierce and with a bit of a bite, but this is a very nice blend. It's kind of warm and snuggly instead. I'll probably wear it quite a lot, and I'm certainly keeping it, but I can't speak for its attributed properties!

[ouch!]

This is an initial burst of Dragon's Blood Resin at first, with a kind of burnt caramel smell. This is only for a little while. The burny bit goes away after a minute or two. The Dragon's blood stays and my guess is that there's Carnation in here because it's spicy and also...I can smell grapes quite strongly. This is like the Burgundy Wine Grape that's in Blood Phoenix.

 

The dragon's blood fades further still as it dries and the oil loses all it's punch! It's now a grape scent with a tiny bit of spice behind.

 

I like it but...hmm. Not as special as some other blends in this category. This one fades fast for something with such a powerful concept.

 

[moggie23x]

I think that this oil is perhaps why i feel so peppy today! I agree that it is a warm and lovely scent - i feel very happy over all today (despite a bad night's sleept), and i think that it is the Wolf's Heart in me.

[Ceri]

In the vial: Woody, Spicy and Herbal.

 

Wet: On my skin it turns very green and sharp.

 

Drydown: Softer, sweeter and powdery but still has the herbal and spicy quality to it.

 

Overall: This scent is comforting and familiar, I'm keeping my imp.

[donnatron]

Imp: There be dragon's blood here! Also some wood and... perhaps leather? I know that leather accord probably didn't exist when this oil was first concocted so it's probably pine or another natural oil that goes into the leather bouquet.

 

Wet: My skin eats this while it's wet. I get a general dragon's blood/honeysuckle scent (which makes me wonder if db and honeysuckle have magical properties or if they're used to mask other scents because they're used in a lot of the conjure bag blends. As far as I know both are for protection and love or passion) and then it just goes faint.

 

Dry: This smells faintly effervescent and very familiar. Just going by the general sense I get while sniffing it I'm going to guess this blend has sassafras or sarsparilla and coriander in it. The dragon's blood/honeysuckle/jasmine scent lends more a background to this scent. There's something very savoury and offputting about this blend. It smells like something I cook and I can't place the recipe but there's definitely a spice cupboard/what's for dinner? sense to it.

 

Throw: Mild.

 

Overall: I'm starting a new job in March and all the psychopaths have been crawling out of the woodwork with my current one. If Wolf's Heart works it's Voodoo charm on my life I don't care if I smell like cooking spice. Otherwise there are more lovely BPALs to explore.

[aquazoo]

It starts with a strong floral, hyacinth or lilac. Pretty scent!

[Tess]

In the bottle - Medicinal, oddly, with some sweet musk and what smells distinctly like the Lab's dragon's blood. Smells like lilac, but of course!

 

Wet - Minty somehow.

 

Drying - Oh yeah, that's the lilac of dragon's blood there. Normally I'm so nervous about reviewin scents with no list, but that is the one thing I've gotten really, really good at noticing. The lilac is very powerful here, with just a slight back of the medicinal herbs. This smells like it could be an Ars Draconis scent, really.

 

Dry (1.5 hours) - Lilac and cloves. Giving me a headache, too.

 

Overall - I should have assumed this wouldn't work for me. Silly of me not to read the reviews first to find out the notes. Bah.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: I’m guessing dragon’s blood and anise. Wet: Oh! That’s different. Nix the anise. It’s doing something spicy and floral/jasmine with something interesting and dry underneath. Dry: Dragon’s blood with an herbal edge.

[coraline]

I must confess I don't know what dragon's blood smells like. In any case, Wolf's Heart is almost medicinal, but not enough to be off-putting. It's warm, spicy, a little sweet, with what seems to be cinnamon, herbs, and cherry, and its vibe is definitely comforting.

Edited June 12, 2009 by coraline

[Jupita]

Well, I don't know what I expected from this one... but deffinetly not what I got.

Now that I do know what dragon blood is, I can say that Wolf's Heart starts pure dragon blood on me.

And just like in Dragon"s Claw, it starts turning pungently, sickly floral and gives me a head ache at the beggining...

Now, a few hours later, when the dragon blood has settled sligtly in the back, I start to see the diffirences with Dragon Claw.

Where DC, was sligtly sour from the sandalwood, this keeps sligtly floral sweet... there is also some resins, maybe myrrh... it was specially strong in between stages, but my skin seems to have killed it pretty fast... it stills leaves a sligt spicey edge to the whole blend.

I can't say I don't like it, it's nice... but I think I'll wear this one for voodoo properties only... it's not really my cup of tea.

 

P.S. - actually, layered with Body Shop's Cherry Body Butter, this is very very nice.

 

A year later, this has become my "go to bed" scent...

I love wearing it when I go to sleep, it soothes me and makes me feel comforted...

Edited November 14, 2010 by Jupita

[ami226]

Reminds me of Fire of Love without the musk or a few of the Draconis blends. I am not good at picking out notes, but I think that there is some pleasant florals in this one. No sharp herbals.

 

Not really my thing, but it is definitely pleasant.

Edited June 26, 2009 by Catseyes

[laslibres]

Wolf's Heart starts out being reminiscent of Faustus...what smells like frankincense and flowers, possibly violet or rose? Rose seems like a funny choice for a fortitude blend, but that's what I got out of it...it's kind of a white rose like the kind in Maiden. And a sweet, spicy sort of frankincense, maybe backed up by clove, very warm and comforting but feels kind of elegant and queenly at the same time. Overall it's very pleasant and spicy-sweet, with a light breath of flowers in the background. Not sure if I find it confidence-inducing...maybe if I wore it under more trying circumstances. I do find it comforting and grounding, though.

[Dymphna]

Wolf is my totem, was my first totem, so I ordered an imp of this without even checking reviews. I was surprised to see the tell-tale red color, and when I sniffed it, yup, dragon's blood. I left it for a few days and decided to try it last night before bed because I needed it.

 

Yes, there's dragon's blood. Yes, there's jasmine or honeysuckle or a similar heady, white/light floral, but it's NOT overwhelming and it seems to just blend right into the other notes. Yes, there's something spicy, but it's not sharp or bitter or overpowering in any way.

 

And yes, as at least one person mentioned, it's like the scent equivalent of a fluffy, fuzzy blanket. I fell asleep nuzzling my wrist, feeling safe and calm, at least for the moment--and I applied more as soon as I woke up, before I even got out of bed. I'm getting a bottle as soon as I can!

[levelek]

In the vial: well-blended, warm, smooth, sweet, but not foody, more fruity/floral - could that be the dragon's blood, which I have never smelt? And soft cloves.

 

Drydown: the cloves give way to florals. I am also getting the narcissus and jasmine that others mentioned. I am steeling myself for the soap that most flowers become on my skin.

 

Dry: the florals pull back a bit (thank heavens) and the balance shifts again towards a fruity-round scent. It's self-confident but there is nothing sharp or loud about it.

If there are herbs in here, they are far in the background.

[kirayna]

I can't pick out any notes with my untrained nose but this is lovely warm and comforting, and still there 14 hours after application

[Caerphilly]

In the imp: Smells red. There's jasmine or dragon's blood, bitter herbs, some eucalyptus, very very sweet.

 

Wet: Sweet dragon's blood and jasmine, something herby, getting some honey.

 

Dry: Soapy resin sweetness. Very red.

 

Overall: I've leaned to love dragon's blood, but only BPAL dragon's blood. But this isn't quite that for me. This is too heavy, too sweet, too resiny. A bit too much. Will try it again, but probably will swap.

[voorishsign]

After Has No Hanna really did bring me luck, I thought I'd try Wolf's Heart next. I haven't worn it in public yet but I can see how it could be strengthening. It's warm, spicy yet clean, comforting, masculine and red. There's some definite musk in there, which I always appreciate. It feels like Fenris Wolf's little brother A really gorgeous scent. I will try it on the next time I need a bit of a courage boost, and we'll see what hapens.