The Isle of the Dead

[WidgetAlley]

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

 

Imp: Deep, sweet, cypress- and forest-smell, coniferous and wet and spicy and in some ways a little bit... candy-like? But in a good, green way. Yum.

Wet: Spiced, resinous cypress and juniper, and deep masculine aquatics-- but it avoid the 'aftershave' smell that aquatics so often translate into in my nose. There's a mingled scent of brown, overturned earth, incense, a faint floral, sweet water. The benzoin lends that perfect amber-y quality that is such a great reflection of the painting.

Dry: A soft, close, cypress and juniper scent, backed by florals and aquatics. This is gorgeous, very natural and at the same time gilded in all that lovely resin. I'm not sure how much I'd ever wear it, though, so I'll stay happy with my sniffie!

[LiberAmoris]

The Isle of the Dead smells like a forest meeting the sea. Like waves crashing against trees. On the one side, the aquatic notes and the lily make it smell buoyant and fresh. On the other side, the cypress, juniper, yew, and white sandalwood make it smell woodsy. I can smell the black rose, I think, but it's not a loud note. Labdanum and benzoin anchor it. It's sweeter than I expected and I can see the resemblance to R'lyeh in particular. When it's dry, it's like sweet woods pulled through ocean air.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: I assume this frimp has been aging for several years. Right off the bat, I get lush florals, almost fruity in their intensity. I'm guessing this is the black rose, but wow, that's rose like I've never smelled it before! It's kept from growing cloying, however, by soft, subtle, rather omnidirectional green notes. And perhaps there's a touch of ambergris in there somewhere? (I hope that's not just wishful thinking on my part - my skin loves ambergris but turns a lot of other aquatic ingredients to soap, alas.)

 

Wet: Oooooooh. Oooooh. I'm getting dark, lush greenery, bursting with life! I was afraid of so many conifers going sharp or Christmas-y on my skin, but instead, I've got a lovely, resinous, and very, very alive forest - the benzoin and labdanum (and sandalwood?) provide a nice strong base, so I'm getting the entire forest instead of just the leaves. There's still a lingering sweetness from the rose, and the lily provides brightness, like small flowers beneath the dark branches or a trickle of clear water. Man, I'm going to have to test this against Druid - both such wonderful forest scents!

 

Dry: After a few hours, everything burns away but but a soft, resinous floral (I'm thinking the labdanum, with maybe a bit of help from the black rose) and a gentle sort of woodsy feeling. Mellow, warm, and lovely!