Y'ha-nthlei

[elinox]

A great undersea metropolis located below Devil's Reef. A swirling, lightless, effervescent scent: the deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris.

First Sniff: A hint of citrus and some salt too.

Wet: Like all aquatics, it smells fresh to me which I love. It seemed to fade rather quickly though.

Dry: During the dry down it became softer, like all aquatics on me. I could still smell the citrus tang and I was surprised that the bergamot didn’t bother me as I don’t particularly care for that note. As it dried completely, I did sniff out a tiny bit of the eucalyptus. But it was mostly just powdery light.

Throw: Like all the scents I’ve tried so far (save for Loup Garou) there is almost no throw for me. Maybe I just need to apply more?

My Reaction: Once this dried, there was only a faint light smell left which was disappointing. I want a “salty sea” smell damnit! It does remind me of what water lilies would smell like though; sweet, fresh and very light.

Rating 1-5: 2 (just too light on me!)

[impolight]

:::Y'HA-NTHLEI:::

 

Ah, the great, sub-oceanic, cyclopean metropolis of the abyss!

 

*petting self*

 

Must be calm. Must cease this foolish shaking!

All of the notes listed in Y'ha Nthlei sound apoplectically amazing.

Having tried Bijoux Y'ha Nthlei first (LE Yule 2009), there is almost a guarantee that this is going to be gorgeous!

Heck, coming from the Lab, this is simply a given.

From the Bottle: This is infinitely beautiful. While the Marine notes in this are apparent, they are also exquisite.

This is what Sea of Glass is imagined to be like.

Foamy is an extraordinarily brilliant illustration of poetic use of adjectives.

The Ambergris in Y'ha Nthlei practically begs to be shaved with... At a pedestal sink. At an Atlantic seaside cottage. With an abalone-handled straight-razor.

The Eucalyptus in this is VERY remniscent of The Coil from the Steamworks and Research Facility category.

Y'ha Nthlei is, thus far, an aqueous fragrance of leviathan proportions.

It is a ghostly tale of a beach-comber wandering the mists, wreathed in bladderwrack and on an eternal quest to secret away an infernal talisman of summoning safely away from the egomaniacal, prying eyes of mortals.

On the Skin: The Marine Notes and the Ambergris swell, as though impregnated by a tidal surge originating in the brininess of the blood beneath the skin.

The Bergamot amps in a huge way; cleaving the very air with a luminous tang.

Y'ha Nthlei is a vivacious vortex of precambrian perfumery; a Jurassic juggernaut of feral, fantastical finesse.

On Her, Y'ha Nthlei is a swirling sorcery of seduction on the surf.

On Him, Y'ha Nthlei is a melancholy merman, set to devastate and deflower... Destined to reign the riptides.

Y'ha Nthlei is another amazing conjuration.

5 out of 5!

Edited July 27, 2010 by impolight

[milo]

Veeeery aquatic and masculine here, like clean guy that has used a nice good quality aftershave. I have a tough time identifying masculine notes in blends, so yeah, clean guy being sprayed by salty ocean mist.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: very aquatic/ozone

 

Wet on Skin: very sharp in the nose at first

 

While Drying: No bergamot, just a hint of eucalyptus; heading toward Irish Spring

 

After a Little While: Something keeps this from going pure Irish Spring, but it is definitely an aquatic scent; it has a … spongey feel; I can detect the barest hint of bergamot if I look for it.

 

Later: oddly fresh and sour at the same time; not really my style, but better than many blends of this type

 

Y'ha-nthlei earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

[INFJ4w3]

Eucalyptus! Eucalyptus! My God, MORE eucalyptus. Smells like menthol cough drops and Old Spice Lime. Manly. Older manly. Not really my thing, although it is refreshing/cooling and I love the fake ambergris (unfortunately, mostly drowned out by the EUCALYPTUS.) Eh. 2 stars out of 5.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Milky and watery, reminds me of The Sea Foams Milk. Has a slight tang to it, like flowers? Light citrus?

 

On skin: A light aquatic: milk and light citrus over turquoise water. The water fades upon drydown, leaving a creaminess touched by something tart -- possibly the bergamot, or maybe unnamed tangy florals? It remains this way, the tang morphing in and out of the milk. I definitely don't get any eucalyptus, and I'm not familiar with the ambergris note. Overall, Y'ha-nthlei is light yet thickly milky, and definitely feels "effervescent". I've tried this several times, and some days the milk dominates the tartness, sometimes vice versa. It's much like The Sea Foams Milk but a bit more tangy, and a milky, gentler "Lite" version of R'lyeh. A feminine scent, IMHO.

Colour impression is white with flecks of bright colour - aqua, orange, pink.

 

Verdict: A pleasant milky aquatic, but not particularly interesting to me.

[SophieCedar]

Wet: this isn't exactly dark and brooding... the eucalyptus and bergamont make this a pretty bouncy.. too bad. I was hoping for an amplification of a dark stormy sea because this is the THICKEST fog I've seen on the Maine coast in a while! But then again.. let's look at the description. It's accurate. But anyways..It's aquatic, salty, citrusy, and a touch astringent from the eucalyptus, the ambergris gives it a powdery softness too.

 

Drydown: More ambergris! This becomes something I would enjoy wearing, more and more. Reminds me a bit of that Gaultier perfume that comes in the sailor torso bottle. Bright, aquatic, bouncy, fresh.

[Venneh]

Marine notes, bergamont, and mint in the imp. On my skin, it's the salt and ambergris that comes out the most. We'll see what this does.

[tkannon]

In the bottle: Love it. Fresh and bright, definitely get the eucalytus from the first sniff. So light and fresh!

 

Wet: Same as bottle.

 

Dry: Same as bottle.

 

Unfortunately, it was gone in less than an hour. I am going to try this as a room scent because I love it that much.

[frecklestars]

In the bottle: I was recommended to this scent after searching for similar scents to Tempest (so sad it's discontinued!). then this was a sample Beth included in my last order - seems she knows about my undying love of marine notes! this is very ocean-like, although it reminds me more of tropical seas and the lightness of snorkeling. there's something very sweet (the ambergris? the bergamot? certainly not the eucalyptus), which is probably what makes me identify it as tropical. it's like coconut, but not as fruity, and almost sweeter. keeps it from being too heavily marine I expect.

 

On my skin: deeper and more mysterious on my skin, though still quite sweet. the eucalyptus adds a minty-ness to the whole thing, balancing out the tropics. it almost reminds me of musk, if sea creatures had a musky scent to their skins. it's very rich and very deep, and the sweetness thankfully tones down over time. marine, but with a little something extra.

 

Last thoughts: strange & unfamiliar sweetly tropical seas with a slightly chilly mint-eucalyptus undercurrent. I love the mystery and depth, and the shivers that accompany its' creepiness. the tendency to fade very quickly is the only thing that keeps me from giving it five stars. (and fade it does - probably within an hour!)

Edited June 12, 2011 by frecklestars

[lavenderfrost]

OH MY GOD EUCALYPTUS. It's chilly and sweet and fresh and did I mention Eucalyptus? Because OMG. O_O

 

This is a freebie I'm glad I got because I can definitely see wearing it. Often.

[Helas]

I loved the description for this one, but was let down by the scent. It's definitely dominated by the bergamot on me, with the ambergris playing second fiddle and no eucalyptus in sight. My mental image is of a gin and tonic with a squirt of lemon, and not the Devil's coral reef that I was hoping for. I could see this one fitting right in with the Atomic Luau scents, but it seems far too cheerful and sparkly for a Lovecraft-themed blend. I've given this one away, since I have plenty of more interesting aquatic scents.

 

Three out of five stars.

[ajansuz]

I ordered this, because I've found so far I really love the lab's aquatics, and they work not only on me but on my husband.

 

In the imp: Fresh and lemony citrus, sweet, and salty. This isn't dark and slithery at all, but effervescent, fresh, and light. LOVE it.

 

Wet: The citrus fades back to sweet creaminess with brine. Still very refreshing and lovely.

 

Dry: Sweet and creamy, briny. So briny I can almost taste it. God, I adore this. It's more feminine than Cthulhu and less laundry detergent/Irish Spring than R'lyeh. Thankfully, I never get much eucalyptus, just the tiniest touch to make this fresh. Not a ton of staying power, but I really wouldn't mind re-apping during the day since it never goes through any bad phases on me. My favorite lab aquatic to date.

 

Forgot to add, there's a quality to the creaminess that reminds me a lot of Black Opal.

Edited July 25, 2011 by DarkSinestra

[sharkdiver]

In the imp: a fresh clean ocean scent...kind of reminiscent of yankee candle

 

wet: Ho.LY CRAP. AMAZING. The eucalyptus comes out nicely migled with the ambergris...It smells so fresh and clean, it's absolutely gorgeous. This was a HUGE winner for me.

 

Dry down: Very soft and clean. The eucalyptus mellows a bit, but is still present, as well as the ambergris, and this is still amazing.

 

I'm an aquarius, who is a SCUBA diver...and this is Divine! I feel like this scent was made for ME.

 

5/5 DEFINITELY buying a bottle!

[Gateau]

Lab frimp. Thanks, Lab!

 

In the imp -- bergamot and aquatic wetness, not too much eucalyptus, which is a scent I associate with the shampoo they usually have at the nicer gyms and spas.

 

Wet -- a fresh, not lotiony, aquatic. Now it does remind me of a spa, but not as much eucalyptus.

 

Dry -- stays pleasant and fresh. However, I think I'd enjoy this more as a room scent, detergent, or soap than perfume.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: I will not skin test it due to my bad reaction to eucalyptus. It is gorgeous in the imp, and well suited to concept. It does give an impression of sea the richness of the bergamot and ambergris implying worship and the exotic nature of the city beneath the sea. The eucalyptus gives it claws and blends beautifully with the others. This really is rich and strange, dangerous and mysterious. My inability to wear it in no way undermines my sincere admiration for the skill with which it is blended and its unique beauty.

[Cattastroficka]

I love this!

 

Fresh, bright, calm, serene, green, heavenly, clean. I am surprised with the reviews saying this is masculine.

 

I smell feminine. One that makes me feel girly.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Cattastroficka

[bpalscentsual]

1/15/2012: Y’ha-Nthlei (A Picnic in Arkham)

 

Previous scents: Dove shampoo and Dove ‘fresh’ scented women’s deodorant-antiperspirant. I’m also wearing Mad Hatter on my other wrist as part of testing.

 

In the bottle: Medium-toned floral with some wetness behind it. It smells like I’m going to like it significantly better than the last few I’ve tried.

 

Testing method: Two swipes of the wand against the inside of my right wrist.

 

Immediately: I never knew an aquatic could smell feminine. I’ve always associated it with masculine scents. There’s a breath of flowers, like they’re floating on top of the ocean, or like I’ve been crying before I try to smell a bouquet.

 

Fifteen minutes: Here comes the aquatics, but yes, this is very light, as opposed to Cthulhu, which is much darker. This is the sea on a partly-cloudy day, whereas Cthulhu is the sea on a partly-cloudy, storm-threatening night. Getting a little of the eucalyptus, too.

 

One hour: When I tried this before, by now it had turned into ‘old lady perfume’. Now that I’m not testing as much at one time, it’s staying relatively calm. Just goes to show that the amount makes all the difference.

 

Several hours: … Somehow, it still ended up going old-lady perfume and slightly powdery. Is it the bergamot? The ambergris? I need to get better at identifying individual notes.

 

Overall: I’m not emotionally attached to this and I’m not completely in love with it like I am with Cthulhu, so it’s going onto the swap pile while it still has some left in it.

 

DISCLAIMER: Due to differences in skin chemistry, inherent olfactory powers, and other scents that an individual might use throughout the day (i.e. scented deodorants, shampoos, room sprays, cooking odors), these oils will smell different on every individual. This review is only intended to illustrate my personal experience wearing it throughout the day.

[Kayah]

imp: cool and.. minty?

 

wet: is that mint? .. no really.. I can't tell

and... flowers? snow?.. wut?

 

This is definitely a "light" (not in scent, but feel) scent.. and not .. uh.. colour light but.. floaty? .. levitational? it's not gentle and it's not ethereal...

 

 

looking at the description: effervescent! yes totally this is it.

 

I don't pick out the bergamot but I totally dig the eucalyptus (I thought I hated eucalyptus) and the ambergris..

 

This is great!

 

on the drydown it goes more aquatic, the ambergris accord is really doing something special in this scent.. I THINK I can pick out the bergamot now, it gives Y'ha-nthlei an edge along with the eucalyptus.. as it settles into my skin it switches between dominant on the eucalyptus to the ambergris, with the bergamot as a background.

[evekrieg]

This is the first aquatic-y scent that I've tried from BPAL. I received this imp from a friend, so its age and origin is somewhat unknown. The age probably has something to do with it but everything in this blend is really mellow. Eucalyptis and bergamot really do blend well together and I think I'd like to smell this on a man. It sweetens up as it dries down, and it's doing a weird plastic-y thing on my skin. Definitely interesting but not something I'd commit to in 5 ml.

[Smaragdina]

Preconceived notions: First BPAL scent ever (roommate needed an extra imp to round out her order and asked me what I wanted). I’ve got no idea what to expect. I’m hoping for something nice and everyday-clean scented.

 

In the imp – clean, pale aquatic.

 

Wet – Nice, sweet aquatic. Pale green and blue. I can’t pick out any notes; it’s sorta dish-soap like, but in a very nice way.

 

Drydown – The sweetness comes to the fore, but it’s still nice and clean, not sugary. I’m thinking of sweet lemons for some reason - must be the bergamot. Nice, but nothing to write home about.

[sessile]

my first impression was that this is a really nice aquatic - balanced just right. the bergamot/eucalyptus are surprisingly (and a bit disappointingly) faint in the beginning, and become nonexistent quick. all that's left is marine note, with the ambergris holding down the fort.

 

but... it IS a little simple. me personally, i figure if i'm going to get an aquatic scent, i might as well go all out and get something like the men's l'eau d'issey or ck one summer.

 

(then again, i'm not particularly enamored of aquatics to begin with. i have to admit i do find them kind of meh in general.)

[yakiguri]

Fresh and definitely aquatic, with a minty-greenness that teeters this blend just a tad too close to Irish Spring on my skin. Bergamot and I usually don't get along, but surprisingly it's not only behaving but it's staying in the background. I'll keep my imp for when I just want to smell clean, but I don't think I need a bottle.

[calivianya]

I received this as a frimp. The "marine notes" would have kept me from trying this, as it's an aquatic. It is quite beautiful in the imp and wet on my skin - the aquatic notes just serve as a backdrop for the ambergris, which is the strongest note. This is clean and fresh - I would call it a misty day with a little bit of sunlight shining through the fog. For a second or two, I thought this was going to be a keeper. Then, the aquatics turned to dryer sheets as they always do and overwhelmed every other note in this blend. I think this would be absolutely beautiful on someone with the right skin chemistry, but it's an utter fail on me.

[Monday]

Wet: Sharp salty sea, a bit masculine.

Dry: This turns into dryer sheets on my skin, minty dryer sheets. Not a scent for me.