Osun

[anomie]

Osun

 

The Goddess of the Hand Mirror, Maiden of Love. Osun is the Goddess of beauty, love, enchantment, elegance, and pleasure. Her charm and incomparable lovliness is such that it can be felt, sensed, and not merely seen. Osun holds the secrets of our deepest and most complex feelings. She is intuition, pure and idealized love, the tingling sensation of pleasurable anticipation, the sensual movement of seduction and sexuality, and quick breath before climax. Osun is the pleasure of the senses, refinement, and the patroness of artistic endeavors that bring delight to the world. She compels us to express our deepest, truest feelings, and is the mother of our tears of happiness, tears of bitter grief, and the swelling of our hearts with love, hate, lust and fierce joy. She is the harlot and the virgin, who bestows unbridled carnal pleasure and also shows the path to purity of the spirit and virtuous intentions. She represents tenacity, the will to live and the drive to acquire, and the desire for achievement and fine possessions. She is the sublimely sweet and the revolting sour that we taste in life. She is charm used to every conceivable end, and is credited with bringing currency and the concept of money into the world, and is therefore the Patroness of Prostitutes and Courtesans. She is a great Witch, and has a multitude of brews, charms, and potions and always has a trick up her billowing, beautiful yellow sleeves. She is the youngest of the Orishas, and is a symbol of the most recent of nature’s evolutions: civilization. She teaches us to take care of ourselves, to pamper ourselves, and to find and express the beauty in ourselves, in others, and in our world. She is the sweet water of the stream, sustaining life. She is the Goddess of fine art, debate, sanitation, grooming, oratory arts, and temples and theatres. She is the act of landing the settlement that becomes a nation. She shows us that time must be made for leisure, amusement and contemplation, for a life of unending toil is an affront to her gifts, and diminishes the quality of life itself, and cripples our ability to conceive new, innovative ideas and create compelling works of art. All work and no play is not an option. It is Osun that provides us with the security, safety, comfort and prosperity that we require in order to make time for leisurely pursuits. Osun is the mirror that mankind holds up to itself, and she is the principle upon which all art is born. Osun’s symbols are hand mirrors, brass fans, brass needles, brass bells, sunflowers, and her creatures are the cricket and the peacock. Her ofrenda is thick with honey and herbs of love, passion and desire.

 

In the bottle: Sweet, sweet honey, with a little bit of fruityness behind it. Reminds me of tasting honey in a farmer's market.

 

Wet: Still sweet, but I can definitely smell something astringent cutting the sweetness as well. And a bit powdery.

 

Dry: Wow, the honey's faded into the background. Now it's all dry greens, soapy and clean but grounded by the honey.

 

I love it. I think I need to add this to my "big bottle" list!

 

ETA: Oh, crap. An hour later, this has turned to something that reminds me way too much of my mother's sink drawer full of ancient makeup. Stale powders and dried-out lipsticks. I'll give it another try, but it's just not working.

Edited September 15, 2007 by Shollin

[coulrophobe]

In the imp: Sweet and foody, but with a hint of either sweet herbs or light florals. It smelled familiar to me, so I compared it to some of the lunar oils - while I thought it would be closest to Honey Moon, it actually smells more like Pink Moon to my nose.

 

On: It doesn't really smell like honey on my skin, but it does have kind of a milky/foody feel mixed with herbs/florals. It's light and sweet, but also has kind of an indulgent, luxurious feel to it - like bathing in heavy cream (not that I've done that... but, well, you get the idea).

 

Final Verdict: While not really "me," Osun is quite pleasant, and I think the scent matches the concept extremely well.

[harmonyfb]

I didn't smell any honey at all in this blend. It's light and a bit astringent, very herbally and green, with the aquatic undertone that you'd expect in a perfume named after Osun. It smells more to me like a voodoo blend, and less like a perfume.

[ivyandpeony]

This one is really, really lovely. It starts out as honey turned up to 11. As the honey dries just a bit, fresh green notes begin to emerge. If I close my eyes, I'm sitting outside in a garden - the kind of garden where I'd grow my own flowers, herbs, and vegetables, and I'd care a lot more about how abundantly things grew than about how they looked, but I'd always want to drag a chair into the middle and sit in the sun to read a book or just enjoy the world around me. This seems to be a very organic scent and it definitely has "that BPAL smell" that we all associate with certain blends - just something about it. It seems to be a very fitting tribute to Osun.

[nineveh]

This fits the description pretty well: green herbs with honey. Unfortunately, the honey is going sour on me (like usual) and the herbs, while fresh-smelling, are a bit too astringent for me. I agree with the reviewer who likened this to a voodoo blend. The ones I've tried all have a strange powdery herbal base that turns to aloe baby wipes on my skin, and Osun is doing the same thing. It's reminding me of Van Van in particular.

[sarada]

This has a soft, powdery honey combined with a fresh green herbal scent that is a faint echo of Honey Moon -- very faint, but the gentle powdered honey/pollen scent does match nicely with the aromatic, crisp green herbs.

 

It is a lovely sunny scent and if your skin takes well to these sorts of scents this would be a very nice match.

 

As it dries I get a faint hint of powdery rose starting to warm like a blush around the edges.

 

This makes me think of a women with skin the color of pale honey, in a foamy, herb-infused bath with tropical plants and flowers blooming all around her.

 

After it has dried down for awhile it smells a lot like the drydown of Persephone on me. A sweet, powdery rose with luscious pomegranate. I don't know where the pomegranate came from but this smells like it does when it dries down. Yep, that's the drydown of Persephone on me, alright. Isn't that strange?

Edited April 6, 2006 by sarada

[shelldoo]

in th vial:honey, an something freshly sweet

 

 

wet: herbal, yet still sweet...and something making me think fruit but i can't place which fruit. maybe juicy would be more correct then fruity...intresting

 

as it dries i get more honey, and more of a powdery note others have mentions, although i wouldn't say baby powder, but a cosmetics type of powder, a good powder, and herbal w/ a slightly liquid undertone. very nice all in all

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Definitely honey, but powdery soft honey

 

On me:

This goes on as very sweet honey at first, but it isn't long before those herbs starts peeking out. The herbs are so soft and feminine, and powdery - they aren't your usual herbally types, it doesn't really come off as green so much. In fact, the honey in combonation with these soft herbs and the powdery sweetness makes me think of a pale wheat color. It's very subtle and understated, and very airy and light. The honey is definitely there but it's not overly sweet. The herbs are lovely and even provide a very minimal herbal "tang" to it to balance the honey. I think I even smell a tiny little hint of rose, but it's very very bare.

 

Final note:

I think this embodies Osun perfectly. It is very feminine and beautiful. It has a very airy quality that makes me think of Dana O'Shee and I think this would be a perfect Spring scent!

[Little Bird]

This actually smells much different on me when compared to the other reviews. It doesn't smell green or herbal at all in the imp or on my skin. It's actually rather floral on me.

 

Osun smells of spicy red roses, a hint of super sweet jasmine, and a good helping of golden honey. It's very heady and incredibly sexy. Seductive and womanly.

 

After a couple of hours on my skin, the floral notes have faded a bit and the honey is dominating. It's sweet and a tad powdery now.

 

I normally don't like anything that hints of floral on me, and honey usually smells metallic and sour on me, but this is spicy and intoxicating. I think that I will need a 10 ml of Osun. The boy especially has been going crazy over this one, he was even more amorous then usual when I wore this around him. And that's always a fun thing

[mandragora]

Hmm, I smell sour-smelling florals as I sniff the imp. Reminding me of 2, 5 and 7. But, but, but, I see no rose in the description. *hesitantly applies a bit on my right wrist* Yep, this is the screaming roses of love, passion and desire ... and doom on my skin. Where's the honey? This is all heady, powdery sour-smelling roses on me. *sigh* I had such high hopes for Osun.

 

Verdict: No sour roses for me please. Off to the swaps. *and off to the sink to wash my right wrist*.

Edited April 13, 2006 by mandragora

[filigree_shadow]

Oh, pretty! Reminds me very strongly of, um, BPAL. When I open the lid of my imp box, I swear this is the scent that wafts out. It's a bright, sweet mix of scents.

 

It does smell floral, but creamy too. I keep thinking, "Oh, this reminds me of Titania, no wait, Loralei, no, Nocturne..." I can't pin it down. It seems like it's almost crossing the line into a rose scent but it never quite gets there. And there's an absoultey gorgeous spice underneath it, but I have no idea what it is. Nothing astringent or sour here for me, it's soft and playful.

 

I'm amazed that this works one me because honey doesn't smell so great on my skin. But this works beautifully.

 

This one is going on my big bottle list for sure.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Sweet honey

 

On Skin: I am dancing, seriously. I thought I’d never find anything to compare to O, but this scent is BEAUTIFUL!!! The honey is the base and most obvious note. Beautiful drippy golden honey. This scent screams with a warm gold tone, so rich and comforting. After a few minutes the herbs start coming out, to my dismay. I don’t like herbal scents and was really hoping my skin wouldn’t amp the herbal notes in this one, but there they are. They cut through the sweetness which may be welcome to people who don’t like overly sweet scents. It has a very slight floral twinge, again enough to just help thin out the syrupy sweetness of the scent. As the scent develops, the honey fades a bit sadly. The herbs also take away from the syrupy feel, and soon the scent is actually becoming quite powdery. I do really love this scent, but O will still remain my favorite Catalog Scent due to the fact that it stays honey on me without florals or herbs. I did order a 10 ml bottle which I’m sure I’ll be using all of. A gorgeous scent and I LOVE the description. A huge success, thanks Beth!!!

[SeaMonkey]

Green herbs and honey. Like everyone else said, its slightly astringent, but it works well. O didn't work on me and neither did Honey Moon, but this does.

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: honey and herbs. This scent reminds me of the smell of honey straight from the hive; sweet, herbal and floral all at the same time.

 

Wet: fresh, unprocessed honey with green a green herbal tang.

 

Dry: honey sweetness, brushed with herbs and spring flowers. The perfect scent for Spring!

[LittleGreyKitten]

Another nice honey based BPAL blend. The honey is less aggressive than in some, and the green herbiness is a nice backdrop- a different feeling than resiny honey blends. Fresher, less cloying. Probably more user-friendly than some of the honey BPALs. I suspect this one may work on some people who thought they were completely anti-honey. (Or not, hard to say!) Though I admit I'm a fan of them, with probably the single exception I can think of being Honey Moon. This is what I wished Honey Moon smelled like.

 

Now, I probably don't need a 5mL right away. Eventually, probably. But I loved so many of the new GC imps I've tried, this one has some stiff competition in the what-to-order-next department. So nice, very nice, but not true love (yet).

 

A very wearable 4.5 out of 5.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Honey and herbs. Oh dear.

 

Wearing: Yeah, honey doesn't work on me. Whoever likened the herbal base in this to aloe baby wipes was dead-on. Add stinky honey-poo to the mix, and you have the smell of a diaper change.

 

Final Impressions: As a bonus, i'm apparently allergic to something in this - the angry red welt on my arm is very stylish.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

When a BPAL scent has "herbal" notes, that's ususally a good indication it'll jive well with my chemistry. Osum does work very well.

 

Osun's honey gives the herbal notes a gentle lift. Youthful scent without being immature or girly. Fresh without soapiness. Sweet without foody/cloyiness.

 

Perfect scent to wear to ANYTIME except formal occassions and perhaps exclusively romantic occassions.

 

I could easily imagin getting a 10 ml to make lotion for spring/summer.

[Em-]

The Orishas and I are getting on well, and Osun is no exception. On me she is HONEY. Very heavy, exotic, herbal pollen laced honey. This is not the pedestrian clover honey you buy in a plastic bear at the supermarket, oh no. This is wild honey from a farmstand along a country road. If you've read "The Secret Life of Bees", this is Black Madonna Honey.

 

I love what Beth does with honey. I love what Beth does with herbs. So it is no great surprise to me that Osun sings to me with a song of comfort and joy and great and sonderous beauty. This blend is the wonderful herbal pollen laced blend that I had so hoped that Honey Moon would be. It wraps me in comfort just to snif it. It calms of to slip it on my skin.

[Medici]

Original Review:

 

In the bottle: Sugared violets. I can totally see how this relates to "teh shiny!" It's brassy and flashy, with a bit of soft sweetness that takes three hard lungfuls to catch. It's there, though - a nice dollop of whipped cream on top of clear, runny honey.

 

Wet: Floral honey.

 

Drydown: Floral honey. More floral than herby, definitely.

 

Verdict: S'ok. I was actually expecting more honey - Honey Moon drips with it, while Osun is all... mellow yellow. Elegant, though. Perhaps a touch too floral for my tastes.

 

3/5 on Medici's Scale o Lurrve

 

The Next Day:

 

I take it back. I've wearing Osun today on my collarbone, and it's a heady, thick perfumy honey. Very elegant, very mood-enhancing (if you know what I mean. I feel like a goddess wearing this.)

 

I'll bump this a point on my scale o' Lurrve: 4/5

Edited April 20, 2006 by Medici

[PurringPulsar]

Osun

 

In the imp: honey with a hint of fruits, herbs and flowers. A scent with elements of Pink Moon and Honey Moon.

Wet on skin: now I smell a bit more of the herbs, I'm thinking that I can smell some thyme, or some rosemary, or both? Maybe some sage? I also get a honey note very similar to the wildflower honey scent of Honey SN.

Dry on skin: beautiful! This is a true wildflower honey scent, one could say it was Honey SN on steroids but such a description doesn't do justice to how lovely this scent is. This is the scent of summer in the countryside, possibly in the Mediterranean, possibly in Greece or the south of France. The sun is shining and the fields are golden-I can smell the hay. The warm air is also filled with the scent of wild herbs. Fresh honeycombs have just been gathered and I am eating honey made from the nectar of wildflowers and aromatic herbs whilst resting in the shade of an olive grove. The honey is sweet but also has tartness to it, and dryness. The gentle smell of camomile wafts from a cup of herbal tea I have, made from those same wild herbs and sweetened with that very same honey I am eating. There's also a hint of rose from a nearby rose garden, and I can smell a little hint of fresh fruit that has just been picked, lying in a basket next to me.

After a while: this stays the same, pretty much-a golden, crisp, dry, sunny honey fringed with dry herbs and a tinge of olive-but it just smoothes out and becomes more balanced. I also get a little hint of something salty, which is odd, but quite nice.

Eventually this scent dries down to pure, single-note honey, both sweet and tart at once.

Verdict: this is a wonderful honey scent that conjures up such a strong, beautiful vision of the perfect summer in the countryside in my head. It's like an enhanced version of the Honey SN, which itself was a tart wildflower honey, this has that same honey, but with a bit extra. I can smell herbs like thyme and rosemary in here, and also camomile and olives, something grassy that reminds me of hay, hints of roses and maybe other dried flowers, and fruit, even warmth and sunshine can be smelt in here amongst the golden, not too sweet honey. It's a very evocative scent and is another one of those fragrances that brings up such lovely images and feelings and I love this scent because of that. I'm not sure if I'll need a bottle just yet-the only thing I hoped for was that the honey note would be sweeter, and I still have Honey Moon as my holy grail of BPAL honey. But I'm very impressed by this scent and will definitely keep the imp.

To sum it up in a smiley:

Edited April 19, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[empi girl]

In bottle and on, wet: Sweet tangy honey, with wildflower and soft herb mixed in.

 

As it dries, it becomes a nice honey, strong and sweet but not cloying, with a soft floral edge to it. It has a slight fuzziness to it that I associate with musk or resin, but that is not "perfumy" as I think of it. I might be crazy, but to me, it smells like honey with a rose base. It smells a lot like Parlement of Foules on me, but softer, sweeter.

 

And it has amazing staying power. I put it on at 4:30, just the rim of the bottle against my wrist. Still going strong at 9:30. On me, that's amazing!

 

I like it, I might grow to love it. I'm definitly keeping it for a bit and trying it again.

[LiberAmoris]

Osun is so pretty, like a pairing of Honey Moon and Persephone (and I'm glad to see I'm not the only person to pick up pomegranate/rose in this!). I wore this on a warm spring day last week and felt like I was wearing sunshine.

 

I'm trying to keep my collection down to a reasonable size, but I might need a little bottle of this for the summer.

[purplegirl]

I was soooo hopeful and half in lust when I read the description for Osun when it went live. I got my order last week and FINALLY tried Osun and I was heartbroken...

 

It was sweet honey - with fresh mint leaves. If it was a colour, it was amber and green. Eventually, it went almost entirely green and leafy, and the honey didn't come back until a long, long time, and by then, the green had kicked me in the arse. I LOVE honey!! Why did the greenery have to chase her away?

[Nepthys]

This begins as a mix of honey and ocean - sort of an aquatic version of O. I was quite enthralled for about an hour and a half, it was my new favorite BPAL; and then alas, it went powdery. I totally get the drawer of old makeup smell too. But even that I'm kind of liking. I'll wear this a few more times besides deciding on a big bottle but right now it's my favorite of the order.

[maewitch]

This smells like the best lotion in the world. It's creamy, sweet, just a touch powdery.

 

The honey in this is very light, and there's a faint greenish floral at the edges of this (my boyfriend says rose and I think he may be right). It's very clean-smelling, whatever it is.

 

Overall, this seems like a milder, more virginal version of Honey Moon.