Theodosius, The Legerdemain

[SarahScent44]

Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean.

In the imp, there's the traditional cologne-y fougere, wispy fruitiness of tea, and jasmine-leaf greenness.

On my skin, the fougere is most prominent, backed by jasmine leaf.

It's so strange - when it dries, it's very smoky; nothing at all what I'd expect from these notes.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Sweet tea and fougere. Wet: Tea parlor: tea, vanilla, jasmine, perfume. I wasn’t expecting this to be so delicately feminine. I am surprised there is no lemon in this as it has a sharp citrusy edge. The scent is very green and sweet. I’m rather liking this, even though this wasn’t what I was expecting. Dry: Smells vaguely of soft leather. I am really loving the way the various elements blends seamlessly as it ages. The musk does some absolutely stunning things with tea and fougere. This is subtle and clean, and civilized. I am definitely planning to wear it more.

[Emera]

IN THE IMP: Very, very charming and light –a light cologne with lavender’s clean, gentle astringency, and the soft sweetness of vanilla bean and white musk (o white musk, please don’t amp on my skin!) underneath. He’s a gentleman, but kind of a girly gentleman. HAWT. He probably wears pearl-grey gloves. And crosses his legs like a laydee when sitting.

 

ON THE SKIN: So classy! It makes me feel like I should be wearing a champagne-colored cocktail dress and flirting at a posh reception or something. The vanilla is evident, which makes it perfect for the girlier types (i.e. me), but the main scent is the same clean, crisp, refreshing fougere as in the imp.

– Nnnooooo, white musk, go away! . This is admittedly a better-behaved white musk than usual (normally it plunges straight into the depths of old-whipped-cream depravity), but still. So much complexity… lost… *weeps* The fougere is hanging on a tiny bit to keep it from being overwhelmingly creamy, but it’s losing out.

 

CONCLUSION: Theodosius died and was embalmed in white musk, the end.

[rachel2205]

As lots of other people have said, it's a manly Dorian. This is really a beautiful scent, though I think it is too masculine for me to wear. However, i think I should try it on my man...

[arabella]

First Impression: Floral, milky tea.

 

Dries down to: There's very little change.

 

Additional Comments: This is pretty much a unisex scent. It's a neutral blend and would work well as an everyday scent on anyone. It's light and inoffensive.

 

Lasted: 1-2 hours.

 

Rating: 2 out of 5

[ImperatrixMundi]

In the imp there is a real blast of citrus. On skin it stays citrus but vanilla and musk peek out and for some time the tea is very strong.

However - the citrus note never fades away and in my locket it is still citrus-musk. Why? I really expected more sweetness and jasmine with the fougere being more lavendery.

Yeah, well. On my skin it fades quickly and the tea note is much stronger. Maybe I should get a bottle and bury it in my clost for three years until the citrus is gone?

[NinjaCowboy]

in the bottle: mmm citrus. Mixed with sugar and sweet tea. Altogether a very sweet, soft scent. I like it a lot.

 

wet: on my skin, the tea some out a lot more, and the cirtus retreats more to the background. However, there is this other very masculine scent that is coming out. I can't place it, except to cell it men's cologne. It dries the whole scent more so its not quite as soft as sweet. Very nice.

 

dry: yup, that masculine scent is coming out more, tying all the notes together in a deliciously dry, crisp scent. I tend to like wearing masculine scents, so I adore it! It is also one that I would like to smell on the boyfriend . Lasts a long time, although it fades fairly quickly toa point where its almost like an afterthought that is following you around. I entirely love it! Much sharper than I was expecting it to be, but in all the best ways.

[Pika]

This is such a light scent, and I agree with arabella: unisex and inoffensive.

 

Really, I find it very pleasant though! Yes, it's a bit traditionally cologne/perfume smelling, but I think the tea really livens it up a lot. And it doesn't have that gross, lingering drydown commercial colognes/sprays do. I'm also getting a subtle citrus that my body chemistry isn't destroying and amping. (for once!)

 

I'm actually considering a bottle of this, just because it is so beautiful and "inoffensive" at the same time. Many of the BPALs I like are "nose-catching", if you will. This is so simply *pleasant* it might be nice to have around for days I don't need or want to attract attention with my aroma. I like Theodosius!

[alsatia]

Expectations: I'm not sure what to expect, but I don't think I'm going to love it. Yay for vanilla, and musk is sometimes ok. Tea leaves? Yuck.

 

In vial: Musky jasmine, and if I keep sniffing the tea leaves appear. I don't specifically smell the vanilla bean, but I think it's sweetening the other notes a little.

 

On skin, wet: No, not for me. Dangerously close to the commercial perfumes, and jasmine is just a bad idea. It's tickling my nose a bit.

 

On skin, dry: I don't even have words to describe this scent. That's not even intended badly, just that it's unlike anything I've smelled before. I'm starting to get a little of the vanilla bean, but it's predominantly jasmine and musk. Plus something I don't recognize, which I guess must be that white fougere.

 

After time: After about 10 minutes, I'm getting a lot of tea leaves. This is not a great stage. After 20 minutes, it's blended together and I can't really describe it. It reminds me of commercial perfume again, but now it's like a quality version instead of smelling fake and chemical.

 

Conclusion: It's not surprising from the notes, but this is a much more feminine scent than the name and story led me to expect. Theodosius is like the handsome guy you hit on in a bar and he's awkwardly trying to reject you when another handsome guy comes up and starts French kissing him. And then you go hide in embarrassment. Overall, this scent is actually nicer than I think my review has made it sound, but it's just not for me.

[Kitrona]

In imp: Heavy.

 

Wet: Mm. I likes... definitely the Earl Grey in there.

 

Dry: I like it. Oddly, there's an undertone of, like, hospital antiseptic or something that reminds me somehow of a hospital. But I like it.

 

Verdict: Mine.

 

Mar's verdict: Sharp, perfumey, ambergris-y, fruity.

[mazaru]

Wet: I'm getting mostly white musk and jasmine, with just a hint of tea and vanilla.

 

Dry: Pretty much entirely white musk, sadly. The tea has evaporated - which I was sort of expecting, as the same thing happened with Dorian.

 

This works really well on my boyfriend, though. Really well.

[lilacea]

This is sexed up Dorian. Not as sweet as Dorian, with just a teensy weeny touch of floral (just enough to lift it out of the doldrums), gorgeous white musk and something that reminds me of leather. The vanilla is understated and lovely. This would be lovely on a guy or a girl.

 

I also find Theodosius remarkably comforting, the smell reminds me of a hospital with all that tea and musk. But not in a bad way! It's a fresh, clean, comforting smell.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Sweet earl grey tea, herbs, musk. Yum.

 

Wet: Verrrry vanilla-y sweet - the bergamot and herbs are a lot lighter. The tea note is still pretty present, though, as is the musk..

 

Dry: Still overwhelmingly vanilla-sweet. What happened to the lovely bottle scent? Vanilla, I hate you on my skin.

 

Summary: Sickly sweet vanilla, had to wash off.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Sweet, almost soapy clean musk, vanilla - very much like Dorian.

 

On wet: Dorian, but with a much more aggressive undertone. Maybe the jasmine? The fougere? Hmm...

 

Drydown: Still registering as a more butch Dorian, and I'm pretty sure it's the jasmine giving it that dark, floral edge. It's more perfumey than Dorian, and, oddly enough, kinda...smoky? Something smells burnt - weird! I have no idea what that is!

 

Overall: I really liked the opening stages of Theodosius - I love the Dorian-esque feel, and I love scents with white musk and tea - but the drydown was very, very strange! I was expecting creamy, musky, gorgeousness, and I get burnt, somewhat powdery florals instead. Such a shame. 2/5

Edited June 20, 2008 by furygrrl

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very light men’s cologne and white musk with a hint of creaminess.

 

Immediately on skin: This smells like soft gentlemen’s cologne with an extra dash of dry white musk and a very faint vanilla note. Whereas Dorian is all about the tea and vanilla with a hint of lavender cologne, this is more like cologne with a hint of bergamot tea and vanilla.

 

After a little while: This blend smells very dry to me and almost woody. The cologne is still the main note with the white musk blending in, and there’s just a hint of sweet creamy tea in the background.

 

Overall Impressions: This blend reminds me a lot of Dorian, but in a manner of opposites. Whereas I just get sweet, creamy vanilla tea and a hint of lavender cologne from Dorian, Theodosius is more like dry, gentlemanly cologne with the tea and vanilla far in the background. This has an odd dry feel to it on me though… almost like paper or dusty linen. I love Dorian on myself, but I may have my husband try this one.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Tea and light musk

 

On Application

Bergamot (nice and strong bergamot) and tea (ie. Earl Grey Tea) with musk

 

Dry Down

Oh this is fabulous and suprising since it was so faint in the bottle. The best tea scent to date for me. After a nice long tea period, the vanilla starts to warm and round out this scent. This is a very masculine scent. This has rocketed to number one on my favourites. I would like to try layering this with De Sade.

 

Rating (0-5)

5

[innocent]

Wet this was a lovely light smell, slightly too masculine for my tastes. But it's dried down into a lovely combo of white musk and vanilla... almost edible. I don't get any citrus from this... or any tea... A nice, unisex scent.

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: TEA. Also I was very pleased when I saw that was jasmine LEAF rather than straight jasmine - which does not agree with me. I'm expecting something refined and a little cologne-y from this.

 

In the bottle: I'm primarily getting the musk and the fougere, actually - it's slightly sharp and pale and definately like a white, fairly unisex cologne.

 

On the wrist, wet: More of same - very sharp and pale, with the slightest hint of vanilla tea. Want more tea.

 

Drydown: Well, it has a bit more tea - Earl Grey is fairly wussy as teas go, so I wasn't expecting OMG!Tannin, but still. Even a little vanilla, but the sharp white musk and fougere dominate this. It IS quite unisex, but at the same time it's very crisp, very light and bright and a teensy bit astringent.

[Allumina]

Just lovely. Wet it's lemony and boyish, but not cologney, eventually the musk shows up and it's pretty. I really like this one-it's got a luminescent quality, and that sexy vanilla musk drydown that Dorian has without being as sickly sweet as Dorian. My roommate liked this so much after trying my imp that she bought a bottle.

[jewelbug]

 

Imp: A lovely vanilla musk, creamy with lavendar.

 

Wet: A wollop of white musk with a bit of vanilla/lav. There's a slight citrus, presumably the bergamot in the earl grey. Very nice and unisex. Reminds me of Dorian, which makes sense, considering the inspiration...

 

Drying: The musk backs off a bit, the lavender steps up.

 

Dry: Huh, i swear i smell leather in this. A slightly smoky leather with a supporting vanilla musk, the lavender is pretty much gone. Its more toward the masculine side now, but still unisex. I think this is decidedly more masculine than Dorian. late into the drydown, i'm getting a weird synthetic scent--like a burny plastic almost. Maybe there's a sugar note that's not agreeing with me? Its faint, and I only get whiffs occasionally. Otherwise, its a masculine white leather musk scent with a vanilla sweetness. I want to try it on my hubby.

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[kisha]

Mmmm.... pretty! I'm reading the reviews and find it hard to associate this with a more manly Dorian. I'm not sure if it's the white musk (which is probably my favorite scent on me) or the fact that I'm used to wearing men's fragrances, but this is very soft and pretty on me. I do see a man being able to wear it (and I did try it on my husband *swoon*) but I like it too much on me to see it as anything other than a confident female/unisex scent.

I don't think I've sniffed this one in the bottle, I'm in too much of a rush to put it on, but I do get the tea and the white musk while wet. It gets vanilla sweet on top of that as it dries and while dry. The tea mellows but doesn't disappear, and the musk stays the same throughout. The throw is strong on me, and it lasts quite a while. Getting multiples of this one, especially after the Candy Butcher crisis. (Why, oh, why did I choose to wait for that one! That was right up there with this one!!!!)

 

Overall opinion - LOVE!

[rayvn1]

Hello sexy! I had a feeling this would be one of my BPAL favorites and Theodosius delivers on all counts. Mmmmm-HMMMM! I get a touch of vanilla and a lot of the tea with almost a hint of lemon or something citrus on the edges. Some cedar or something too... This is utterly fantastic! Dorian didn't really work on me very well, but this is so wonderful - as if my beloved Severin got together with Dorian in a tantalizing, deliciously scandalous fashion. Amazing.

[Pookstrell]

I detect the a citrus at first - a faint lemon. I should preface this, however, by saying that tea always has a citrus edge to my nose. On the skin - pow! - beautiful brewed tea (not dried) with a sugary feel and musk. There is also something in this which keeps it grounded which I can only assume is the jasmine leaf. Now, jasmine leaf must be an utterly different beast to the flower which I really, really cannot bear. But this ... is stunning. This is a warm, yellow version of Dorian. Dorian is decadent afternoon tea with doilies and sweets enjoyed by recumbent, rakish men. Theodosius is earl grey from a china cup, taken in the drawing room whilst wearing a cravat

 

Oh yes. I will be buying more.

[MisterShrapnel]

This is basically what would happen if Dorian lost some of his sweetness and effeminacy and got into Severin's more questionable hobbies. Or maybe he's stopped socializing every evening and got his head into business? A less "frilly" Dorian, I guess. He takes his tea with one lump of sugar instead of two now, but he's still pretty.

I like a lot this even though I found the same Earl Grey note a bit sickly in Severin (maybe I just didn't like the leather?). Inoffensive, clean, and refined but definitely not weak or invisible. More unisex than masculine. Glad to try it!

Edited November 3, 2008 by MisterShrapnel

[butcherbaby]

in the imp this is tea with lemon. musk with floral. somewhat astringent, possibly some lavender in there. not bad at all.

 

on the skin the astringent citrus amps for just a minute, or less, then settles down, either gone or so far in the background i can't detect it at all.

now i am getting the tea, quite strong, creamy, and sweet. oh my gosh, SO sweet. and i mean in a *swoon*ey way, not foodie or sickening. it smells like a fresh cup of strong tea with lots of creamed honey and a dollop of vanilla. yep i said honey! my nose interprets the sweetness as honey. and that's a damn good thing, as i think honey is probably my single favorite note ever.

 

the throw on this is amazing. it is light and strong at the same time. i gets wafts of sweet honeyed tea for hours, but it is not in your face or cloying. it is gorgeous! i kept thinking that lovely smell was the combined essence of all the imps on my desk but no, it was theo, as i realize once i move away from the compooper and can still smell it. and it lasts for hours.

 

i tried it initially on the insides of my wrist, then the back of my hand so i could review the fresh notes again. i notice a slight difference between the two. on my wrist, during drydown, there is a slightly sour milky smell when sniffed right on the skin. it goes away in a few minutes, then it just smells powdery musky and floral - jasmine?*

 

back of hand test skips the sour milk funkiness, and i can *almost* pick up a fleeting bit of what others are calling the 'masculine cologne'....but it is fleeting and never for sure. i do scratch my head over all the 'masculine' references....i don't get that at all, but i wouldn't say it's feminine in any traditional way and yet not unisex either. it's like a tearoom scent that is strong enough that little old ladies couldn't wear it, but a strong, confident woman could. yet i wouldn't think it was girly if a man wore it. very tricky to pin down in a category.

 

and, now i have to get around to trying that imp of dorian. so far, all i know is that they don't smell the same in the imps. oh, and i'm definately getting a bottle..or maybe two.

 

 

*a lot of my favorite oils are jasmine-y, but to be honest i have no idea what it smells like on it's own. except for the night blooming variety, i couldn't pick jasmine out of a single note lineup to save my life.

Edited November 3, 2008 by butcherbaby