Saturnalia

[Aurelius]

Unrestrained revelry, unchained licentiousness! Violet deepened with vetiver.

In the vial: weedy and reed-like. Dark, though certainly not "dark" in the incense-y way I think usually categorize as dark.

Wet: Violet! This is the same note as ultraviolet (duh, violet) that smells just like Kansas to me! Which is odd, seeing as how the family farm does NOT have any violets. Huh. Violets smell sweet to me, not very flowery. Okay, this is strange. It smells the same on the farm on a summer's evening right before it rains. That odd, sweetly metallic smell. While this doesn't scream unrestrained revelry and unchained licentiousness (um, I don't even want to think of that in the context of a FARM ) it is, however, a fantastically cool reaction.

Drying: stays true on my skin. Sweetness that's somehow thick.

Overall: Man, I love the nostalgia factor on this one, but it's not quite right for my tastes, scent-wise. Love the memories though!

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - impr received in a swap

 

Wet - yuck!

 

Dry - so that's what vetiver smells like. I have smelled it in blends where it doesn't bother me, but this, this bothers me. I had a similair reaction to Bloodlust , so now it know I was reacting to the vetiver in that as well. This is a dirty diaper smell covered up by flowers. It's a death scent, but not in a good way, it's the stench of decay covered by something overly sweet. Must go wash this off right now!

 

I have now thoroughly scrubbed my wrists twice and guess what...it's still there! Why can't I get this can of last from the scents I do love? Interestingly, now that it's been washed off twice, I don't hate this anymore. The vertiver has mellowed and it's a green, earthy scent. Of doesn't smell horrible after it's been washed off...twice, isn't the best review.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 1.

[FireInCairo]

This is quite nice. It's almost a smokey violet on my skin. Highly unusual combination really. I smell quite a few resins here as well. Very nice. I think it would smell nice on a man too. It's rather gender nuetral.

[urraca]

I love violet and I love vetiver, so I was very curious to see how they would mix. In the vial it was sharp, pungent, fesh vetiver with a hint of green tea. Wet on skin the vetiver is still dominant on me but echoes of violet start wafting through. And that is oretty much how it stayed through the drydown. The vetiver dominated while the violet was just an echo in the background. Strangely enough, the smell that wafted up to me (this has a lot of throw) was vetiver but on my wrists I smelled more of a flowery smell. I would have preferred more violets but I do love vetiver, so this is a keeper. I think of it as a very masculine smell and I've been known to follow boys wearing the stuff down the street so, yes, I do get the licentious part. But if I follow myself down the street, I'll start going in circles....

[QueenFae]

Oh man, I just do not like violet for some reason. At first whiff, whew, STRONG and bitter. Violet with a mossy base, simply not for me. My skin just will not even allow me to see how others could like violet, because it always turns so rancid on me. Not for me, I'll find him a good home.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Quite smooth. Something I'm unfamiliar with, or possibly am familiar with, but just mixed differently.

 

Just On: Hmmm, this doesn't smell very good on me.

 

An hour or two later: My skin turns this to yuck.

 

Around 6 hours: <choke>

 

12 hours: It's very faded, and my skin ever did let it get nice.

 

Overall: This is a swapper for sure. Too bad, I wanted to like it.

 

After reading other reviews: This is a vetiver blend that I absolutely cannot wear.

[NoirRosaleen]

In the bottle: hard to smell, but intriguing.

 

On my wrists: OH BRIGHT STARS I JUST PUT KAUA'I ON MY WRISTS. I went there exactly once when I was 16, and the minute you step off the plane there's this lush, beautiful, growing-things-and-flowers scent, that is now clinging to my general area. Oh happy dance, I finally found it!!!

 

Up close it's different, weirdly enough, but still dark and yummy and ohh...

 

Must have big bottle. MUST.

 

Wonder what it would smell like on a boy...? *drools*

 

EDIT: Well, maybe not...a few hours later I smell like Lemon Pledge. Baahh...

Edited August 3, 2005 by NoirRosaleen

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: definitely violet & vetiver, but there's something sour in it as well.

 

First on: That sourness is still there. I think I'd like it if it weren't for that. Hopefully it's not in the civet family.

 

Drydown: It's not gone spoilt milk on me, but that sourness is still there. Maybe a dark musk or ambergris? Either way, it's unfortunately not for me.

[Scarlettfish]

This was just a disaster on me. Horrible in the imp - a really strong smell of decay or something? No violet at all. And it just got stronger and worse on me. Can't seem to wash it off, either. Ack! And I know it's not the violet because I love violet in a whole bunch of other scents. Damn vetiver!

[AliBabble]

this is a strong, thick, heavy, actually GOOEY oil. when i first tried it, i couldn't remember what was in it, i kept thinking "patchouli" , 'cause it had a sort of "dirty hippy" feel to it. but man, i've decided i really like it! i love violets, yet i barely smell them in this, i just smell what i suppose is the vetiver, but it's different than "normal" vetiver - it's a little wilder! kinda dirt-like or animalistic, as people have mentioned.

 

saturnalia had a weird effect on me - made me sort of aggressive, and extra- opiniated ( not really in a bad way), it just brought out some sort of "warrior" side of me. hmmm. when the wild vetiver calms down (5 hours later?!?) - i can smell more violet. i like this one lots.

[Little Bird]

This is the violet that I have nightmares about. The kind of violet that could wake up during the middle of the night and decide to strangle me for its own sadistic pleasure.

 

This is such a deep, dark scent. Like looking into a well or cavern. Pitch black and empty. The violet doesn't go sweet or powdery as it always does on me. Something about the oily animalistic vetiver really turns the sweet, innocent violet into something evil.

 

Saturnalia is violet done up like a dominatrix. I love this blend, but I can't wear it. It's really not me. I'm proud of the violet here though, it's all grown up and has a kinky sex life.

 

...don't mind me...

[brownbear]

oooooooooooohhhhhhh

 

This is Violet. But it's more of a deep, dark violet. wowza

[AlaskaSnows]

This is PURE SUNOMONO!!! Japanese cucumber salad!! Lots of fresh gorgeous cucumber, and vinegar. It's damned edible!! I put it on my husband and it's SO gorgeous there. It lasts for quite a long time.

 

 

After about 3 hours it does turn to a very faint spiced violet. I really love this.

Edited September 5, 2005 by AlaskaSnows

[Shollin]

Despite being very well wrapped, the imp I swapped for managed to break in transit... so instead of a gentle waft for my first sniff, I got the full force of Saturnalia in all its green glory.

 

First sniff: When I opened the envelope, all I could smell was vetiver. And, as y'all have no doubt gathered from reading my other reviews, vetiver and I really don't like each other.

 

Wearing: Vetiver… and how. There’s a bit of a powdery sweetness around the edges - from the violet, I’m guessing - but it’s dominated by vetiver’s swampy greenness. Sounds like it was much better on some of you, and I'm a bit jealous... but given my experience with the notes, I didn't have my heart set on this one.

[carolinachiquita]

This smelled very green in the bottle, green with something hiding behind it. I put it on and it just smelled soapy on me. I think it is the violet that just reacts wrongly with my skin.

[Firewaver]

I just love the name of this scent, and I'm afraid my romantic sensibilities got away from me and I paid no attention to the notes.

 

I love the idea of violet.. but I just can't take the scent. And violet plus vetiver? Oh dear. .. I love Marquise de marteuil, because the sweet peach takes the bite out of the vetiver..

 

But violet just dulls the vetiver, bringing out the old dirty shoes smell. This ends up smelling like dirty shoes that have been thrown off after a long walk in a violet covered field. Which sounds lovely, but doesn't smell quite so nice.

 

Boo. Off to the swaps with you!

[Orodemniades]

I love this violet, really, I do.

 

And if the vetiver would simply calm down this would be fantastic. Alas, it is not. In fact, on me the vetiver becomes increasingly bitter and musky, to the point where I had to wash it off...and it was still there 10 hours later.

 

Off to the swaps.

 

Oro

[aessedai]

This is another violet scent that I wanted to love, but it was just too green. I like the pale purple kind:)

[maewitch]

This was a frimp from the lab, and not something I would have ordered myself. I gave it a try anyway.

 

And...um...had to wash it off almost immediately. The combination of the powdery violet and the grassy-rotten-earth vetiver made me thing of that sickly smell you get from an open casket. Too much make-up and and the promise of the dark, deep hole. It's very much in tune with what I expect from a Funereal Oil, not a Love Potion. In fact, I had to double-check the category.

 

Oh well. To the swap pile.

[jewelbug]

Bottle: Green. VERY green. Almost like fresh picked green beans, actually. This is very reminiscent of vegetables

 

Me:

Wet: Extremely green. The greenest most freshly crushed plant smell I've smelled from bpal. I assume this is the violet. It is not bitter and sharp like I'm used to from violet.

Just. So. Green.

It's very interesting. After a bit, this is not a sweet green, a grass green, a floral green. Its like mom's trying to get me to smell my vegetables green. Interesting, and very unique bpal, but not up my alley.

Him:

Wet: Green. This is fresh cut grass, crushed flower stems and the sap from green young trees.

After about an hour, it's still very green, but now it’s a bitter green. This is the bitterness I usually associate with violets. It remains a green bitter violet floral. I don't quite know what vetiver smells like, but I think all I smell on him is the violet. It’s a touch girly on him, actually.

 

Overall: this is a very interesting scent. I'd almost call it pure chlorophyll. A truly amazing and unique blend, just not something for me. I’m really glad I got to smell it! Now I'll pass it along for someone else to love.

[sarahj]

Saturnalia

 

in vial: violets and....bananas?

 

wet: no bananas, just violets and vetiver

 

dry: powdery violets

 

verdict: violets + me =

off to swaps

[zenvodunista]

I keeps searching for a violet I can wear. However, this one just goes to prove that my skin sucks up violet. I know I don't amp vertiver, so I'm just sucking up the violet and wearing singlenote vertiver. I like vertiver, but not alone. Sadly, this one isn't me.

 

n.

[Nachtwulf]

Got this as a frimp...from the desc, I /never/ would've ordered it. Violet and vetiver are two terribly baneful scents on me, and in violet's case, has totally wrecked my enjoyment of a blend before! (Anathema.)

 

Ahhh...but...Saturnalia.

For some reason... utterly incomprehensible... I like this. Nevermind that it's two notes that I hate... it's clean and green, and not sweet...faintly floral, but not soapy.I get something of pine or forest, somehow, which some have offered as being an oakmoss note... I don't know, it's just a lovely woodsy scent that actually smells like the /woods/, not of pine sol.

 

....It /doesn't/ say 'rampaging sexuality' to me in any sense, though... more the kind of smell that encourages peaceful daydreaming, as if sitting under an isolated grove of trees on a bed of moss. I doubt I'm going to run out and get a bottle, but I'm going to keep the imp, I believe. It's quite nice, in my book.

[glampyre]

Loviatar is a little too dark for me. The vetiver is really amped up on my skin. Usually, the darker woodsier notes are not so strong when mixed my personal chemistry.

 

If you've been looking for a really dark, woods note, this would be perfect.

[Phaedra]

Wet this is herbal, musty, sharp and bitter. When first on it is very woody like tree bark and also sour. After a couple of minutes I can smell violet. After about ten minutes the woody note (which is vetiver I think) is gone and it is pure powdery violets. There's a fleeting hint of lemon that comes and goes and adds an interesting sweetness to the blend. I think I'll keep the imp to use up but probably won't buy a bottle of this.