The Castle

[karmageddon]

THE CASTLE

The view was magnificent, and from where I stood there was every opportunity of seeing it. The castle is on the very edge of a terrific precipice. A stone falling from the window would fall a thousand feet without touching anything! As far as the eye can reach is a sea of green tree tops, with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm. Here and there are silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.

But I am not in heart to describe beauty, for when I had seen the view I explored further. Doors, doors, doors everywhere, and all locked and bolted. In no place save from the windows in the castle walls is there an available exit. The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!

A distant whisper of pine, wet moss and dry leaves passing through vast halls and winding dungeons whose scent bears the memory of blood, faded splendor, imperial elegance and stunning violence.

This one is quite a surprise! A pungent, ancient smell that has a cold salty undertone of marble and hundred-year old lichen. Yes, lichen. It's not the deep, warm smell of moss, it's the superficial harshness of lichen. I smell a very far away pine smell and a drop of dragon's blood.

Reminds me of a blend I can't quite put my finger on... hopefully, I can edit this post when it comes to me,

[sarada]

I tested this on my right wrist on a massive test-a-thon today right before I went for a long walk in the woods. I figured that the crisp autumn air and forest would help to set the scents loose in their natural environment.

 

The Castle smells faintly resiny in the bottle and the woodiness is similar to that in Carceri d'Invenzione. Actually, the slightly sweet, resiny scent that I get from this might be dragon's blood...I can't quite tell the colour of the oil but I think it may be slightly rosy, holding it up to the light.

 

This really deepens upon wearing it. The wood scent resolves itself into what I think is redwood, judging from my imp of the single note. It has a moist, pale, pulpy wood quality to it, not the green pine that I was expecting. This is more of a warm, soft, spongy woodpulp.

 

The Castle lasts and lasts, and that redwood and dragon's blood love my skin. I had expected a very green scent but this is a pale red and muted soft brown in my mind. Now that I am testing it at home, and the natural scents of the forest aren't confusing my overloaded senses, it is a much stronger, and more clear scent to me. Highly recommended to fans of Carceri d'Invenzione, particularly if you don't mind a touch of dragon's blood.

 

As it dries, the faintly spicy aroma of crumpled dry leaves is released into the air, and the moist wood pulp becomes a dry, powdery, sweet and slightly spicy wood. Very complex, morphing scent and very much up this forest girl's alley.

[alicia_stardust]

Wow, I did not expect to fall in love with this one. It has a cold, vast, autumnal feel to it. I smell a touch of pine and woods in the bottle. It smells very dry, forest-like, and aged.

 

Once I apply it to my skin all those things fall to the background and as it dries I start to notice a warm, red, tingly spice to it. I think it must be dragon's blood but I believe there's something else mixing with it to give it this effect.

 

I could wear this throughout autumn if it were all I had to test out. It's lovely. I plan to keep my bottle and I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

[Teggy]

I tried on The Castle at will call tonight and wasn't too impressed at first. It had a certain "empty" quality that Schwarzer Mond had (no, it doesn't smell like Schwarzer Mond). I didn't really pay attention to it until I was on the bus home and gave it another sniff.

 

Hmm...something familiar...

 

*sniff* I know this...I know I know this...vanillia ice cream? No not quite...Ah ha!

 

Green tea ice cream. I mean the real stuff you get at a Japanese restaurant. Stop laughing! I'm serious! It has the grassiness and creaminess of green tea ice cream. I like it more now, but it's faded after 3 hours. I'll consider buying this one.

 

Edit: Meanwhile, back at the bank (read: 3 weeks later), I ordered a bottle and tried it again. It still had that nice, light green quality to it, but I think it might need a little aging to bring out the creaminess I got from the will-call bottle. I still like it though.

Edited October 24, 2006 by Teggy

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is dastardly and despairing; dried dead leaves...

thick with doom...

once applied there is a definite sense of dragon's blood...but aged .... some

very dry and almost bitter note...i think there might be some dry, white sandalwood

...after 30 minutes or so this gets more and more metallic and the dried

leaf smell comes through loud and clear...such an interesting blend ...i am

sure this bottle will get better with 6 to 12 months in my depths of my dark, wooden bpal aging box most certainly

[Little Bird]

In the bottle... there might be some vetiver and/or dragon's blood in this one. It's earthy with a spicy, woodsy note, but with the tang of dragon's blood and some sort of sweetness that makes me think of white chocolate. This actually is reminding me a bit of the way The Tell Tale Heart also smells in the bottle. It actually smells rather foodie.

 

On me... this is foodie like Dragon's Milk . Vanilla and spicy dragon's blood. In the drydown, this is like Dragon's Milk with a hint of woodsy incense. I've layered Dragon's Milk with various other incense blends and loved the result... so I'm liking this one.

 

The Castle isn't at all what I was expecting. I'm not getting any pine, moss, or dry leaves? This just goes very sweet and foodie on my skin (which I like, so hey...).

[maijasu]

I can't quite tell what this actually smells like. But it is definitely a dark, foreboding scent, perfectly evocative of its concept. I can smell nothing foody, piney, woody, etc.--just old and dark. Don't know if that makes sense.

 

Anyway, while I really appreciate how this blend captures a mood and brings literature to life, I can't say that I personally like the smell on my skin.

[aidenraine]

I am really impressed with how BIG this scent manages to be- by which I mean, it captures the sense of a really lonely wide open empty space brilliantly.

 

It's cold, but incense tinged, piney, resinous and odd.

 

I don't enjoy it as a body scent, but I enjoy it as an experience.

[supremegoddessofall]

Very metalic. I think there's probably dragon's blood in here somewhere, because it has that distinctiveness to me. Deep, rich, and I like it.

[birdiefu]

It seemed very vetiver-like to me when first on. Dry it is almost metallic dragon's blood with some dry spices, along with a creamy, almost sweet note to it. Very nice scent .

[PilotKitten]

Hrm... more dragon's blood I think, but this time, unlike the Bloody Sword, I'm actually getting the sweetness from it. Interesting scent but not interesting enough to warrant a bottle I think....

[PurringPulsar]

The Castle

 

In the imp: pine! This reminds me of Beth’s forest scents.

Wet on skin: a sweetish note now appears, and like dragon’s blood, but I also smell black pepper!

Dry: I quite like this. Now the ‘dry leaves’ really come out, the pine still hangs around, but I smell other stuff in here…there’s a little hint of clear dragon’s blood, some dusty woods, something almost like earthy patchouli, and pepper. Possibly even a hint of leather, and there’s something damp to this scent as well. This actually reminds me of Tintagel, but without the fruitiness. This definitely brings to mind an old castle with memories of blood.

After a while: the dragon’s blood becomes the dominant note but this is such a pretty DB note! It doesn’t have the bitter red harshness that I sometimes get in some DB scents, it has a tinge of the metallic-ness but this is a very soft, sweet, almost floral dragon’s blood, almost watery and soft with a hint of pleasant spice to it. It seems odd to compare the two but it reminds me of French Love’s lilac-DB.

After a while I’m also reminded of the Cracked Bell, only lighter…I do get the almost amber like sweetness and dark smokiness I got in that scent, without the musk.

Eventually the smoky scent gets darker, the DB becomes bitter, and vetiver appears.

Verdict: another dark, blood tinged and fascinating Dracula scent…this one starts off deceptively sweet, actually. A surprisingly light and sweet, lilac like dragon’s blood scent with hints of spicy pepper and pine and autumn leaves. But then the sweetness deepens a touch and gets clouded with smoke and a hint of amber, the dragon’s blood becomes more metallic and then vetiver comes out to add a sinister touch. It’s very much like other castle themed scents like Tintagel and the Black Tower, only this one starts off light and inviting, but then darkens dramatically. It’s not a favourite of the ‘atmospheric Dracula location’ scents-Carfax is my fav of those-but I might keep the decant because it’s very unique as perfume.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Maybe just the decant.

If you like this, try: Tintagel, The Black Tower, The Telltale Heart, Blood Amber, Serpent’s Kiss

[Nisaba]

I didn't have the description of this scent in front of me when I first tried it on, and yet the very first thing I wrote after it hit my skin was "green... moss... damp velvety moss". How Beth managed to capture that scent I don't know. Then something sharp, a touch metallic, slowly mingles in. It really is quite an experience.

[edenssixthday]

The Castle - This is strikingly similar to Tintagel, but perhaps a bit more earthy. Before reading the ingredient list, I was positive this blend contained the same juniper, leather, leaves and dragon's blood as Tintagel. I just can't get over how similar they seem to me. As The Castle warms up on my skin, the scent begins to smell a lot like top-shelf scotch, too, and I'm fairly certain that's the "wet moss" notes coming through. It's a fascinating scent and quite appropriately named, but definitely not my style for personal fragrance. It seems more of a masculine scent, but I honestly couldn't imagine being attracted to a man who smells like this -- it's a bit too rank for my taste. Interesting scent, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to let it go to someone who may love it better than I.

[juniperus]

Bottle: Softer than I expected, hints of dry leaves and warmth since passed.

Wet: leaves, spice, and pine needles.

Dry: still very subtle, almost dusty.

Later: it's faded, but not gone - just a wispy hint of a scent, clinging to my skin like the smell of burning leaves will if I pass through the smoke. haunting.

[Alchemy21599]

I received a decant of this scent from a decant circle:

 

In the vial: spicy and herbal

 

Wet: dragon's blood

 

Dry: For me this scent was overwhelmingly Dragon's Blood. If you are a fan of Drabon's Blood you will this scent.

[ND¢]

I do smell some herbal notes complicating this blend, but the bottom line is I can't wear dragon's blood; it overwhelms anything it's paired with which, on me, is not a pleasant scent.

[moon_lemming]

Okay, The Castle sort of creeps me out. I smell something that might be resinous . . . I think this is what other reviewers mean when they say "resinous," anyway. I smell old wood and empty rooms. I really can't imagine wearing this regularly, it would freak me out a little too much.

 

In the actual scent department, I think there's a little too much pine; my skin amps pine tons.

 

Spot on representation of the castle itself, I have to say.

[azhure]

In the vial: A faint dustiness. Hm.

 

Wet: Dragon's blood! And...dragon's blood.

 

Drydown: The dragon's blood is the main scent here. There may be a little bit of red musk as well.

[Heretic]

In the bottle: Damp green and resinous.

Wet, on my skin: Resinous and earthy-- soft, but deep and complex. There are sweet notes mixed with wood and earth, and something vaguely spicy underneath it all. Gorgeous.

After 20 minutes: Hold on now. What just happened? That lovely, complex blend has turned to well-chewed cinnamon gum and a bit of Hallmark store.

After 40 minutes: Well, The Castle has certainly come to a disappointing end on me. After the morphing to cinnamon gums and candles, it never changes again. I get no moss, no smoky burning leaves, no great ruins crawling with derelict vines and earth. Just chewing gum. A big disappointment-- not for the blend, which sounds like it is fantastic on most people-- here is yet another blend with which my bizarre chemistry refuses to play nice. I wonder what the note is that I've glommed onto in order to ruin this otherwise lovely scent? Alas, The Order of the Dragon scents have not worked well for me by and large.

[cranberry]

In the imp, spicy dragon’s blood.

 

Once applied, wow this is strong and has some throw! I only put a drop on and it’s overpowering and I can smell it strongly. There’s dragon’s blood, pine, a touch of pepper. It’s spicy and hot smelling, with a touch of sweetness. As it wears the sweetness becomes stronger when sniffed close, but from afar it’s still mainly spicy, hot dragon’s blood. This is the softer, floral dragon’s blood out there, with hints of lilac. This is a wonderful dragon’s blood blend.

[indicolite]

First sniff: yep, dragon's blood reported in. After having a bit of a disappointment with Glasya, I cry yay!

 

In locket- oh NO. Dragon's blood and dead leaves. Dragon's blood and dead leaves.

 

I should have avoided ANYTHING with dead leaves in it at once. My nose is highly trained to pick out the scent of dead or dying organic matter of any kind, which is why I react instantly to grave loam scents, and why apples combined with anything else smell to me like rotten apples. Dead leaves, dead leaves!

 

None of the OotD scents seem to work on me that well. A bottle of the Castle, off to swap!

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: dragon's blood and pine. I'm hoping that this can be my "cold" scent, as I haven't found one that really works for me yet. The dragon's blood (I hope) will warm it up just enough.

 

Wet: Oh dear. I used to think that dragon's blood and I were great pals. Then I tried Bloodlust and a few others, and I started getting the most horrible "sweat-stained, rotting leather" tinge to the db, and that's what I get here. It is truly bizarre combined with the pine and the dead leaves, which are very distinctive.

 

Drydown and wear: This does not get better. Like indicolite right above me, I have had horrid luck with the OOtD scents. Off to swaps...

[LadyMedb]

Gorgeous! I love the sweet dragon's blood - Beth's db smells almost floral to me, it's so sweet, and this is exemplified here by its mixture with pine resin. When I first inhale, I definitely get the pine, dried leaves, and cold exterior; half a breath later, the leathery, smoky, and metallic middle notes populate the Castle with its expected faded and decadent residents.

 

This blend is dry, sweet, and miraculously unisex for the husband and me. Excellent.

Edited December 19, 2006 by LadyMedb

[slave1]

THE CASTLE

 

In Bottle: Wood, spice and resin

 

On Skin: I smell smoke and dragon’s blood right away… a dragon blood incense it seems. The pine is tame, not sharp at all… and the wet moss and dry leaves give a beautiful earthy sweet decay. I also smell something very spicy, I’m thinking cassia. I do get an old feel from this, I could completely picture this as how a castle would smell. It tells stories of many years and generations… wise and allknowing. Very dark and cold, shadows and darkness… things forgotten. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. I’d also like to smell this on a man. I do love the feelings and stories it evokes. Light throw and average wearlength.