The Isle of the Dead

[Chaos the Crazy]

The Isle of the Dead, Arnold Böcklin.

Cypress, labdanum, stargazer lily, juniper, yew, black rose, white sandalwood, benzoin and aquatic notes.

In the bottle: A hint of sweetness mingled with definite aquatic notes and the soft greenness that I associate with cypress. It's a warm brown colored oil.

On le skin: Cypress with a hint of the sandalwood, stunningly goegeous aquatic notes and the lily floating high above. The benzoin lends an old gold picture to the scent, gently warming the aquatics. This puts a picture in my head of a shimmerling lake at sunset....now flashes of gold, now flashes of green along the surface as the sky deepens in color.

Overall impressions: It's not giving a tremendous amount of throw, more of an intimate skin scent. Incredibly lovely and a perfect addition for a summer into fall type of scent. I'm very thrilled that I immediately jumped on this for a bottle!

Edited to add image - clover

[Little Bird]

I was intrigued by The Isle of the Dead because of the black rose, and the mixture of notes just sounded so unique.

 

In the bottle, this smells dark, slightly sharp, and kind of menacing. I can definitely pick out the juniper.

 

On me... the juniper is very much present. Sort of herbal and with an unattractive spearmint sort of undertone to it.

 

After a few minutes, the benzoin also comes out and takes on a warm amber-like quality. Dry, dusty, and powdery. It makes my throat feel dry and unhappy just from smelling it.

 

And that's how this one stays on me. It clings pretty close to the skin, but I still keep catching whiffs of this one as I work. I'm not liking this at all. It's too dry and strangely herbal. It's nothing like the exotic or pretty notes that I was hoping for.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Blood onmy hands

[blackheartedangel]

In the imp, this is definatly a sharp, menacing dark scent. The juniper and cypress stick out, but with something softer and resinous behind it (benzoin/labdanum) During the drydown, the aquatics (rather dark) come out as well as the slight sweetness of the florals and the golden resin note. The juniper and cypress die down just a bit, but it's still a very dark woody/green scent (I can smell a very soft sandalwood note also and I suppose I'm smelling yew but I can't pick it out as I'm not very familiar with the scent.) Overall, I'm really liking the Isle of the Dead. I think it would be a great scent for the fall or summer nights. It's strange in the sense that it envokes both dark (aquatics/woods) and light (florals/resins) feelings in me at the same time, and I can't think of another BPAL oil offhand that has had that same effect. I will definatly be buying a bottle of this one!

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle i get a huge whiff of labdanum and juniper...dark and foreboding

 

once applied an almost piney aquatic blend comes forth...then the lovely benzoin...

after 30 minutes or so i get a definite "green" note; perhaps the cypress...this combined with the aquatic notes in this perfume are a pure delight; i love the deeply mysterious feel i get when i wear this ...strong and long lasting as well~

 

this one is a truly beautiful creation and i am so pleased i own a bottle

[Lycanthrope]

Definitely a beautiful, sticky golden resin in the imp (decant). I'm getting a whiff of freshness, too. This is a viscous oil! It definitely has a citrus-marine note base, a similar sweetness as R'Lyeh and Nyarlathotep. The cypress emerges slowly under the sweet benzoin. There's a wispy floral. Chilly, a touch of cold on this warm ocean.

 

Still... it doesn't scream out to me, but it's quite beautiful.

[filigree_shadow]

In the bottle: Green. Woodsy.

On my wrist: Woodsy. Watery.

 

These particular notes are usually not my favorites, although I have to admit that the combination of the wood and water is interesting. This is the kind of scent I usually hand straight over to my hubby because it doesn't fit me very well. I think this will smell good on him, though.

[kmasden]

wow, i'm amazed at the difference between some of the reviews. I love isle of the dead, but am not getting the juniper or aquatic at all...to me it smells like scales of depravation...it is woody, resiny...almost incensey really. I love it!

[juniperus]

Bottle: very sharp, astringent. the juniper and yew most evident.

Wet: aquatics coming to the fore but the sharp greenery close behind.

Dry: sweet aquatic, the lily the only floral really moving forward in order,and the still-razor-sharp greenery is also very present.

Later: largely the same, but with a peppery sort of sharpness in addition to the juniper/yew combo. The lily hasn't totally taken off on me, but nonetheless this is not at all attractive on my skin.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 4/5

Summarised in a word or two: Dublin Lite!

 

Pre-review thoughts: I'm guessing this'll be a rose-heavy floral.

 

In the imp: Juniper, yew, sandalwood and something watery.

 

On skin, wet: Juniper! But surprisingly, not the sharp, slap-in-the-face juniper I've encountered in other BPAL blends. It reminds me of Dublin, now that it's decided not to like me and reek of pine.

 

On skin, dry: A slightly diluted, softer, cooler and aquatic Dublin, with a smooth base. Lovely in an herbal-y way, but as it dries it gets thicker, and I see that if I get a bottle of this, it'll last me ages, because even the tiny drop I used for this test is a little too much!

 

Conclusion/Notes: I tried this again, after my initial review (before posting it here), using an even smaller drop than before, and am very, very fond of it. I think I'll be acquiring a bottle of this: since Dublin has something against me, this'd be perfect for my "must smell very very GREEN" cravings.

[euterpe414]

I have been so impressed with all of the salon blends, and this is no exception! First off a I smell juniper and aquatic notes, which is totally lovely. It smells like I am far into a deep, dark wooded area. As it dries, the aquatic notes become more dominant, and the floral side of this blend becomes more known. I can definetely smell a hint of rose- a waft of rose that I could smell as if I were offshore. This is so gorgeous, I am very happy I got this one!

[sarada]

I've long hoped for a truly murky deep dark green aquatic and Isle of the Dead appears to be the answer. That's great because it's also one of my favorite paintings. I love the sense of foreboding and mystery that it evokes.

 

Cypress, junpier and I guess yew are very strong in here, almost to the level of a sort of paint thinner scent with a murky, swampy, mossy shadow. On my skin it is nice and strong and not quite so turpentiney.

 

Deep dark damp green woods, and a solemn veil of faint floral incense. I think the lily and rose are giving this some of the kick that really throws those dark greens out into the stratophere.

 

Oddly, this one ALSO dries down a bit like Sheol, which is what I also thought about Satan and Death. Weird. Medicinal dark green woods, faint resins and a spooky glow of funeral flowers. This is probably the perfect aquatic-based scent for me, even though it's really barely aquatic -- doubt I'll need a full bottle but I love having a sniff.

[PurringPulsar]

In the imp: cypress, juniper and labdanum, a sombre mixture of woods and resins.
Wet on skin: dry, pale woods, resinous notes, piercing juniper and maybe some yew?
Dry on skin: interesting! This is such a fascinating blend. I now smell the aquatics, adding a freshness to the scent, contrasting the darker notes. I smell cypress, sticky resinous labdanum, the juniper's bright sharpness, pale sandalwood…no floral notes yet though. This is both a scent with heavy, mournful tones but with cool aquatic notes splashing around the edges.
After a while: hmm, I don't know but I'm not so keen on it now. the cypress and labdanum are still there, but the aquatic note has turned really soapy. It's a real 'washing detergent' scent now and less like pleasant watery notes. Usually it's ozone notes that turn to washing powder but this time the aquatic is doing that. I get hints of rose now, and something deep green that smells almost like vetiver (maybe a combination of cypress and yew?) but I'm not really into the soapy smell that surrounds it.
Eventually this turns into a weird scent of labdanum, 'vetiver' and soap. No sign of the rose, lily or benzoin.
And then it's all labdanum, soap, and smoky…tobacco? And vetiver. I have no idea were those notes come from.
Verdict: this was the only let-down in the Salons so far. It had a promising introduction, a deep, doleful scent of dark notes like cypress and labdanum with deep green yew (I think) as well as juniper, surrounded by watery, fresh notes. it really fitted the name. But then it turned soapy. Really, really soapy. Like washing powder. A really weird mix of clean laundry and dark, heavy, sombre notes which just didn't do anything for me. The drydown is even weirder since one of the notes mysteriously morphs into vetiver of all things, and clashes with the 'soap'. No rose to be found here. Such a shame really because this scent seemed like it would be so unique and wonderful in a good way, but not so on my skin. I'll let someone else have my decant.
Emoticon rating:
If you like this, try: Hades, Jolly Roger, R'lyeh

[Heavenlyrabbit]

First time I tested Isle of the Dead, a beautiful floral greeted me then, about 2 minutes later, unceremoniously disappeared.

 

Second try, floral turned rapidly into powder.

 

Third try, the Lily refused to let any other notes to get any face time whatsoever.

 

Sigh, I love the painting and the Rachmaninoff work of the same title but cannot seem to come to terms with Beth's version of Isle of the Dead.

Edited August 8, 2006 by Heavenlyrabbit

[grrrlennyl]

at first: odd. an almost menthol-like blend with lots of floral and aquatic notes.

on: much fresher with a bit of sweetness. i think that the cypress is giving it an almost eucalyptus-like smell.

2 hours later: this is much softer now and mostly a thick, heavy, sweet scent.

3 hours later: heavy and sweet.

overall: this just isn't really a scent for me.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Labdanum and cypress with a hint of white sandalwood and lovely aquatics.

 

Wet: Labdanum and aquatics, and a little bit of rose and woods somewhere.

 

Drydown: The lily starts coming out, a strangely plasticky scent under the labdanum and aquatics. Then it starts getting all spicy, possibly from the juniper and benzoin, and there are more hints of evergreen from the cypress and yew, hmm! Extreme drydown gives a dark musk feel with aquatic hints and lovely sandalwood.

 

Overall: A very interesting blend, that sometimes reminds me of sun cream, sometimes of the sea, sometimes of evergreen forests - very effective in recreating Böcklin's picture. It's a sensual scent, but also rather dark. It's lovely resins and cypress, but also something dark and broody from the aquatics, a bit like the lovechild of Medea and Danube.

[edenssixthday]

The very first note I detect is the juniper, which means I'm not off to much of a great start, as I really, truly hate the scent of juniper trees (whether real trees or in BPAL form). Behind that is the dry, arid, crisp scent of white sandalwood, which is lovely, but combined with the aquatic notes, this blend takes on the very strange scent of a fresh-out-of-the-box Ace bandage. It's off to the swap pile.

[BrightRedScream]

I got this from SevenSins decant circle.

 

In the imp: Green...water...I feel like I'm by a pond.

 

Wet on the skin: Wow..tons of lily and rose jump out...and a TON of aquatic notes...this is like smelling wet flowers.

 

Dry down: All I get when this dries down is the florals and aquatics...the white sandalwood is there a LITTLE bit..to act as a base..and to ground it all..but honestly, I find that this on me is like laundry detergent.

 

Not for me at all.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Dark resinous pine

 

On Skin: Wow, this is neat! I get the sharp pungent juniper, it stings my eyes. But then it gets a rush of beautiful resinous labdanum and benzoin that sweeten it up just perfectly! The aquatic notes offer a fresh burst just as it seems it’s getting too dark. There are so many contrasts and waves of notes coming forward. The lily gives a beautiful white note that adds elegance and the white sandalwood is soft yet also brightens the scent up a bit. The rose is faint and adds to the elegance of the rose without being bitter like it can sometimes be on me. This is a sext scent, I’d love it on a man or woman. It is very unique, and like all the Salon blends, is sure to inspire conversation since it really has a story to tell. Overall a dark green woodsy scent with an aquatic highlight. Low to medium throw, but average to long wear length.

[birdiefu]

In the bottle- I get woods mixed with a light, happy scent

 

Wet- Whoa, the cypress and juniper are all over me. The aquatic note is also very strong, but not headache-inducing like most aquatics. At first I'm a little nauseus from the strength of the smell, but I had just eaten so I think being full was part of that.

 

Dry- The mellows nicely! The woods tone down and the resins come out to play. Slightly sweet benzoin and labdanum round out the woodiness and compliment the aquatic note which gives it a light feel. I don't really smell any florals, but this blend is so complex that many of the notes swirl together.

 

Overall- Unexpected surprise! I'm usually not a fan of heavy woods, and usually can't stand aquatics. I think it may be the 'dark' aquatic that makes it okay, but R'lyeh didn't work on me...hmm. This is also much lighter than I expected, but with good throw. It seems to be a great unisex blend and I could see it as a wonderful light scent for a guy.

Edited August 31, 2006 by birdiefu

[hologhost]

Wow - juniper and cleaning fluid! This almost burns my nose.

 

It mellows out a bit on, but it still smells very sharp. It maybe the aquatics which I don't always react well too.

[Eunice]

There is a lot of juniper and yew in the bottle but it isn't overwhelming. It fades a little bit when I put some on my skin and then the cypress and sandalwood come out more. I can make out some floral notes but couldn't tell ya what they were. They are just a nice contrast to the other strongly woody scents. Isle of the Dead is a very dark and woody scent. Simply lovely!

[jakey]

Peppery wood. Not for me at all.

 

It's either the cypress of the yew that destroys this for me, I think.

 

Boohoo.

[kuanyin]

I got this imp with some others in a "what the hell" mood, I love the Salon blends, but didn't have any big expectations for this one. It was a real surprise that I love it. I get murky green with golden highlights, exactly like the painting. I'm not familiar with aquatics, so I can't say that I recognize them. I certainly get the cypress and yew, but I get a very sweet quality that I'm not able to place. It isn't a sweetness that I am familiar with either, it is green. This blend is like no other that I have tried. It has remarkable staying power, decent throw and an elusive quality that won't be pinned down to the usual categories of scent. I'm getting a bottle next order.

[supremegoddessofall]

I think if it weren't for the aquatics, I might actually like this. I smell some pretty florals underneath everything, but the aquatic note is going sour on me. Shame.

[Voleuse]

On first sniff, this is dry and a little...astringent? I think. Woody, definitely, and after a minute, resin notes jump out at me. This scent reminds me of a cello, polished to a deep shine. There's an aquatic, ozoney note in the background, but for me, the resins stay dominant in the long run.