Johnathan Harker

[Deiicide]

Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a hysterical way: "Must you go? Oh! Young Herr, must you go?" She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. I was just able to follow her by asking many questions. When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again:

"Do you know what day it is?" I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again:

"Oh, yes! I know that! I know that, but do you know what day it is?"

On my saying that I did not understand, she went on:

"It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?" She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally, she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting.

It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable. However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it.

I tried to raise her up, and said, as gravely as I could, that I thanked her, but my duty was imperative, and that I must go.

She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me.

I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind.

She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room.

A respectable gentleman's scent: lavender, iris, white tea, verbena and white sandalwood.

First off, let me say first review! Yay!
After that being said.
In the bottle: Mostly verbena and tea. There are hints of lavender and iris but the verbena and tea over power everything to my nose. The fiancee slaughtered some all over him after a few sniffs.
My wrist: Verbena and tea, mostly. The lavender and iris are ducking it out to try to dominate each other. The sandelwood is there but hiding. This has a lot of throw in this stage, the mix wafting about me. I could smell my fiancee half way across the room in this.
5 Minutes later: Tea and Verbena are tempered and the lavender is out in the front as its rightful place. Just wearing this makes me feel posh and cultured, dare I say.
20 minutes later: The verbena and the tea are now fading away but still keeping the clean, crisp feeling. The lavender is calming and the sandelwood is adding a nice smooth depth to it. If there is Iris in here my nose cannot pick it up yet.

This blend reminds me a lot of Usher, which as in drydown Usher keeps a very dustiness that feels as though you have been prouncing about crypts. This is Usher's older smoother brother, a blend perfect for just wanting to put more of a sophisicated air then normal. A perfect gender-neutral scent.

Another Order of Dragon Scent well done.

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: tea and verbena. Lovely!

 

Wet: the lavender blends beautifully with the tea and verbena.

 

Dry: this scent is so well blended that it is difficult to pick out individual notes. This is sophisticated and gender neutral. I may need another bottle because I have already worn it several times

[sarada]

Just got a tiny bit of this to test from a kind forum member!

 

For a tea scent, this is very strong -- it has a lot of power and my skin didn't eat it up. Well actually I put some in my hair too and things always last in my hair.

 

It is similar to many of the tea/tea leaf and verbena/lemon scents but much stronger with more throw, and it's almost as if someone took one of those scents (Spirits of the Dead comes to mind in particular) and brushed a little Whitechapel against it.

 

As it dries, the verbena becomes more herbal and a bit like bergamot...I would swear I smell Earl Grey tea. The lavender is not too strong but it reminds me a bit of the fougere in Dorian or Theodosius (without really smelling like them otherwise).

 

I think the sandalwood is what keeps this strong and lasting on me. The last stage is a wisp of iris and the powdery sandalwood drydown. This is very nice and I imagine it would work wonders in a locket. I've found that I tend not to wear these tea scents as much as I always thought I would, so I think a sample is all I need but this is really one of the best in the green/tea/verbena family and might also appeal to fans of Whitechapel.

 

Anyway, my DH said I smell good and I told him it was Johnathan Harker and he gave me a funny look.

[fabulous_stain]

first, let me say i REALLY LIKE this one even though it seems i'm dissing it.

 

in the bottle: light, airy, oceanic with a touch of floral. very "clean" smelling, but not in a cleaning-product way. just fresh and strange.

 

wet on skin: piney, leaf-y, lemony almost.. much like a cleaning product in cologne form. the floral note(s) go waaaaay background. reminds me of a lush bath bomb, but i can't think of which one.

 

dry on skin: light powdery trees, if that makes any sense. mostly gone in a matter of minutes no matter how much i slather on... you have to clear your mind and sniff REALLY HARD to find the leftover scent on my wrist.

 

overall: 4/10 (smells beautiful, but WHERE'D IT GO!?!?!?!?!?!?!)

[sofiaviolet]

Verbena of doom! And there's a bit of lavender in there somewhere. I wish the tea were stronger. The verbena fades a bit, thankfully.

[Little Bird]

In the bottle... the verbena is hyper and bouncing around. Intensely lemony.

 

On me... strong, sharp lemons. I was expecting to hate this, because I don't like lemons, but this really mellows after about five minutes. A smooth, crisp tea note emergest, along with a delicately sweet floral note. The tea dominates on my skin in the drydown, and it's really lovely then.

 

Crisp and cool. Like having tea near a frostbitten garden on a chilly afternoon... with just a hint of lemon in the tea.

[maijasu]

Strong verbena and tea. I really like this while it lasts, which is unfortunately only about 15 minutes on my skin. Ah well.

[supremegoddessofall]

Nothing but citrus hell, with a touch of tea. Floor cleaner. Boo.

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: lavender and verbena. Very fresh, very masculine too.

 

On my skin: mostly verbena. I think there's iris too, and still lavender.

 

After a couple of hours: now I get the tea. It's quite strong for a (white) tea scent. Less masculine on me than in the bottle. On me, it's perfectly gender neutral.

 

Verdict: it's very citrussy so of course, I'm in love. It must be perfect for the summer. And I guess it could be an excellent "going to bed" (to sleep, I mean ) scent as well.

[birdiefu]

Wow, super lemon!! The verbena takes over on me, though I can catch just a tiny bit of tea as well. Sadly, I'm not a big fan of lemon.

[PilotKitten]

Hrm... this one is good with the lavender and verbena blend... but the white sandalwood just ain't cuttin' it for me. It adds this bitter wood note to the other sweet mix and kinda ruins it for me. I'll have my husband try it out to see if the sandalwood amps up on him too or not, because the rest of the scent is wonderful.

 

ETA - Oooh yummy!! On my husband he manages to make this smell like sexy Froot Loops!!! And no.... I have no idea how Froot Loops are sexy in any way, shape or form, but he manages it. Definitely getting a bottle of this one!!

[owensm]

I really thought that this was going to work for me but unfortunately I ended up smelling like I'd dumped on cheap womens perfume. Not a bit masculine on my skin. So sad...

[sterlingspider]

in bottle: lemon curd?!? and lavender, pleasant but I can't really see myself wearing it

 

wet: heavy lavender slowly surrendering to the iris, still a very citrussy bite to it, wow this smells like super sweet lemon clorox wipes

 

dry: shockingly clean and soft, VERY light. The tea is coming out a bit now, the lemony verbena still prevails though. I would love this smell in a shampoo, if the lily continues to play nice I may get a whole bottle.

 

I could see this working for anyone. I would say it's gender neutral, but that's not exactly right. I think this actually manages to feel both feminine and masculine depending on how you focus on it. The hint of floral with the tea feels very feminine, so when I focus on that I feel like I'm wearing an understated, very ladylike perfume, but the citrus gives it a very clean bite, and when I focus on that I could see this working quite well as a man's scent, with no femininity to it at all.

 

I am quite impressed by this one. It's so light and sophisticated this may well become my fancy dress perfume.

Just goes to show sometimes you really have to try things on.

[PurringPulsar]

Johnathan Harker

 

In the imp: lavender, lemon and tea. Very much a cologne type scent.

Wet on skin: lavender gets overtaken by the verbena-tea.

Dry: verbena, and lots of it, mixed with tea. This is now strongly reminiscent of Shanghai with lavender, but with the verbena amped up x10. this does come across as a fresh, gentlemanly cologne, very refreshing, bright and sharply piercing. The verbena is so strong in here though, it’s like the verbena plant in my garden just got up and assaulted me!

After a while: the verbena isn’t as strong as before but it’s still there, however now the iris has a chance to show itself. Mingled with verbena this floral note gains a fruity aspect, almost like the two notes have merged to create an unusual and new hybrid fruit. Very pretty but quite faint.

A soft iris-sandalwood scent lingers on the skin after a few hours-powdery and pale purple with a fruity aspect to it.

Verdict: this was a lot nicer than I expected. I was expecting the verbena tea to take over, it did at first but the drydown is so pretty. I like the verbena in here after 30 minutes, despite it’s full on, overwhelming wet and just-dry stage…it did that in Mag Mell too, but like MM’s verbena, this one doesn’t go soapy/oily on me, and I like that. It is very refined, I must agree, I could really imagine a Victorian gentleman smelling like this. Refined, sophisticated, and somewhat reserved as well. It is reminiscent of Usher but not as complex. The iris adds a lovely touch, it’s a powdery purple flower made fruity by the verbena and it smells almost like a kind of lemon sweet at the drydown stage. It’s very nice but I don’t need a bottle-I still prefer Dorian as my ‘Victorian gentleman’ scent, but I might keep the decant.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Maybe just the decant.

If you like this, try: Shanghai, Santa Eularia, Villain, Florence, Usher

Edited November 8, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[edenssixthday]

Johnathan Harker - What a bright, crisp scent! The verbena and white sandalwood give this blend an overall feeling that’s very reminiscent of Shadow. I think those who are disappointed that Shadow is discontinued would really like Johnathan Harker. The lavender and iris give the blend an herbal-floral touch and the white tea is barely discernible, but rounds out the entire scent. The scent is very sharp, bright and strong when first applied. Once it begins to dry down, it’s not nearly as sharp and bright, but it still stays fairly strong for the first hour and begins to softly fade at that point.

[argylexsoul]

this is exactly what i was hoping for. a "respectable" blend. something i can wear to work or with family that isn't all sexy and wild. It's sorta fresh and bright smelling, but not so fresh and bright that I can't wear it in the fall and winter. I love it!

[azhure]

In the vial: Tea and lavender. Which is an odd mix, really.

 

Wet: The florals come out at first on me, with the tea in the background.

 

Drydown: The sandalwood gives this scent a very austure and Victorian feel. It's a perfect Victorian gentlemen's scent.

[sophia_helix]

Oh, very sweet and fresh and nice, a men's cologne with just a hint of tea. I put it on my husband and instantly envisioned him in a starched white collar and cravat. He'll definitely be wearing this to Dickens Faire this year; it's perfectly period.

[jewelbug]

Imp: A lemony lavender tea scent. Reminds me of Zephyr.

 

Wet: Super strong lemon verbena and a bit of tea. This is a very clean herbal. Pretty and gender neutral.

 

Drying: Lemony tea , but now I get light wafts of sandalwood.

 

Dry: The lemon verbena backs off, and I’m left with an iris/sandalwood/tea (hints of lemon, still, though). The iris here feels more like orris to me--it has got that earthy slightly creamy orris scent I love so well. The blend is a bit powdry, but still herbal and fresh. It lasts 3-4 hrs on me.

 

Overall: This is effervescent and clean and beautiful. I just don't need another light herbal tea scent. I find that even though I like them, I rarely wear the ones I have. It didn’t work on hubby:

 

The Man Test:

Him Wet: sharp lavendar clean tea smell,immediately on, then a tea blend with lots of lemon verbena.

Him Dry: powder and tea. This went to powder within 5-10 mins on him and stayed there. Pity.

 

ADDED 9/11/08:

 

Imp: "Clean" mixed with super citrus-y tea (like a kicked up earl grey)

 

Wet: Lots of verbena, initially, very lemony. There's a powdery quality underneath of that, but hard to pick out anything under the lemon right now. Seems unisex, though I can definitely picture this on some preppy boy.

 

Dry: Lemon falls off and is either gone or so distant in the background that I can't pick it out. The tea (tea usually soaks up early on my chemistry) fades completely relatively early on (hour or so). What I'm left with is a predominantly iris scent, though it smells much more of the orris root than th iris flower to my nose. Maybe that's the sandalwood taking it a little more to the woody/earthy/rooty side of things. This lasts ~7 hrs on my skin, and the orris/iris phase reminds me a lot of those notes in florence.

 

Overall: A lovely gentle scent, quite unisex to my nose. Starts with a lemony zing, ends in a respectable iris/orris/sandalwood combo--a little powdery, but not unpleasant. Pretty, but not something that hubby or I would wear with any regularity.

Edited September 17, 2008 by Shollin

[slave1]

JOHNATHAN HARKER

 

In Bottle: Lemon tea floral

 

On Skin: Wow, this is strong! It’s three dominant notes are sadly notes that almost never work on me: verbena, tea and lavender. This smells very strongly of lemon tea with a dose of very sharp lavender thrown in. It smells like this tea I drink when I’m sick called “Throat Coat”. Well I don’t like tea and I don’t like being sick and that’s what this scent reminds me of. The sandalwood is lightly woody in the background, but very much dominated by the other notes. If you like tea, try this scent for sure. Strong throw and average to long wearlength.

[jessu]

Going on, this is powerful stuff! First, I get the verbena, then the tea, with light lavendar and even lighter sandalwood. It stays bright and crisp on me for less than an hour, then begins to mellow out and fade away. The tea is the first to vanish, followed by the verbena, and I'm left with dusty sandalwood/lavendar until I reapply.

 

Overall, it's cheery and non-offensive in close quarters, so I'm waiting on a bottle to replace my nearly empty decant.

[storme]

In the imp: Verbena and tea, sparkly and light over the lavender.

 

On me, wet: lots of verbena and lavender and tea, and just a trace of a vaguely lily-ish floral, which I assume is iris.

 

On me, dry: very light, fragile sweet citrus over a hint of warmth and sharp lavender. Very very light, though pleasant.

 

Verdict: A bit light for me. On the SO it's stronger but still pleasant. Not really worth keeping around, though.

[Em-]

Mmm. A very fresh light scent, with a citrus-tea base and hints of earthy florals. I really like this one.

[Naamah_Darling]

No, I don't think this is going to work on me. In the bottle, it's strongly verbena, which I should have recalled smells like lemons. Under this is the lavender, the two meshing for an herbal crush of scent. There's sweetness here, the iris, underneath it all. It doesn't smell very masculine to me, not in the bottle.

 

On, this has more subtlety than by rights it should. The topnote is definitely the verbena with the lavender right behind. The sandalwood and iris mix together to make it slightly sweet.

 

I think I'd like this better if it weren't for the lemon. The throw of this is very much like I just spent an hour weeding my front garden, which is thronged with verbena plants. I love the smell of lemons and lemon verbena, truly I do, but lemon has never been a scent that appeals to me as a personal perfume.

 

The lavender gives this whatever cologne-like edge it has. It's likeable enough, I suppose. Thankfully almost no citrus has staying power on my skin, so as the verbena fades it becomes a poised and refined scent that is just a little stuffy. There's a hint of powder from the iris, and an essential sweetness. This is very mannered and a little stiff, but it means well. Much like Johnathan himself. Very well done.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: gorgeous white tea and verbena.

on: the iris is coming out more now, and there's some smooth sandalwood underneath. this is lovely.

1 hour later: bright and lovely. i'm loving this.

4 hours later: soft, floral, and powdery. very nice.

7 hours later: warmer and almost sweet. however, this is still mostly powdery and a bit floral.

overall: lovely, lovely stuff. i tend to fall in love with "men's" scents, and this is no exception.