Sol Invictus

[Inanna9]

Sol Invictus

Sane, sol et in cloacam radios suos defert nec inquinatur.

A radiant blend of solar oils: golden amber, saffron, heliotrope, hibiscus, citron, frangipani, frankincense, tangerine, mock orange, and orange blossom.

Once the amber kicks in, this is to die for.

In the bottle and wet, the first thing I get is lots of soft (as opposed to juicy) citrus and creamy floral, and something almost sharp and harsh --maybe that was the saffron and frankincense before they dried down, I dunno.

Once the amber begins to amp, this gets warm and a little sweet, with a muted orange tone, all grounded nicely by the frankincense. I'm even getting the saffron and yay! it blends seamlessly. The whole thing is so balanced and smooth. This a very cozy, comforting blend, almost a softer, fruitier version of Sol - more feminine and without the spice. I love that this is warm and golden without using any allspice or anything that would make it smell like a Yankee Candle, and yet I still get that homey, kitchen vibe from it.

This is wonderful...I'm so happy that I finally have my golden sunny scent!

[UltraViolet]

 

 

In the bottle

At first sniff it says "TWANG!" Dill pickle-y smelling almost with the frankincense, citron and .... And then comes the tangerine through....Ohhh.

I've had the pleasure of smelling Beth's Saffron, orange blossom and frankincense and yep, it's all here. I love all of the ingredients in here but Sol Invictus has definitely got a "twang" to it.

 

On

Nicer, less harsh, more orangey and warm, but only a bit.

 

30 minutes

Same.

 

Throw:

A wee bit.

 

Scent category:

Herby/Resinous/Citrus

 

Summary

It reminds me a wee bit of "Sol". It's a teeny weeny bit sweet but mostly it's acrid, acidic and sharp. Then there's the lushious orange, orange blossom, tangerine and golden amber underneath.....way under.

 

Purchase again?

No.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

3

[Little Bird]

I was hopeful for trying Sol Invictus; I’ve recently realized that my boy has a thing for sweet orange blends on me (which sucks because anyone who knows me will know that I have issues with citrus blends, lol). Unfortunately, Sol Invictus isn’t really sweet. This is the sharp sort of citrus that I hate, with a drydown that makes me physically ill.

 

First on, the frankincense makes a very brief appearance (and yes, smells kinda like dill pickles on me, but I love that smell) and then quickly fades to make way for a bevy of bitter orange citrus notes.

 

In the drydown, some of the amber comes out to play, and immediately goes to an intensely dry, powdery, dusty note on me. I don’t know what it is about BPAL’s amber that goes so viciously powdery on.

 

Summing it up: Sour orange citrus (acidic and biting) and DRY dust & powder. It gets a touch sweeter after 15 minutes, almost maple syrup-ish. Mostly this is just way too dry on me though (like getting a mouth and nose full of dust).

 

A half hour into wearing this... sickly sweet maple syrup and dust. The smell makes me really queasy.

 

I’ll be giving away my decant.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Blood onmy hands

[themerrybaker]

I was worried about smelling like a Creamsicle with all the orange in Sol Invictus. Needlessly. This is so much better than I would have guessed.

 

The first stage is earwax bitter, like the rind or pith of an orange. It would have been fine with me if Sol had stayed this way: a bit of an anti-perfume.

 

On drying, slightly powdery amber/saffron/frankinsence develops and Sol Invictus changes into a very subtle sweet/salty skin scent. It could have a little more throw, other than that this is a LOVE as opposed to a like.

[indicolite]

I think I smell the citrus and the frangipani. I am waiting for the amber to come in; on my skin, amber is usually one of the last scents to the party but will last.

 

This is very lovely; however, I may not need more than one bottle.

[maijasu]

I'm not sure what I think of Sol Invictus. It is definitely a deep, warm scent, but other than that, it's really difficult to describe. There's amber there, without a doubt, but the citrus isn't knocking me over the head like it seems to do on others. It's so well blended that I can't pick out many individual notes. It starts out strong but, once dry, hovers very close to the skin and becomes softer and more powdery. I do like it, but it's not my favorite BPAL amber blend, and I can't decide if I need more or not.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Playing off my impression without seeing notes listed and the name Sol Invictus:

 

This is a mid-Spring day with clear blue sky, warm (not hot) Sun with not even a speck of humidity to foil the rain of Prana that I can see every so often.

 

It's when the leaves have come in but they're still light green as they reflect abundant solar energy and the Vital Essence.

 

On me, this is a slightly sweet floral/amber. Subtle but pervasive. It floats off me, is noticible but not in an overbearing way.

 

There's a youthful vitality. Can't imagine a man wearing this... or a senior citizen.

 

In quality, I end up thinking of the Unicorn (minus the herbal and soap) and then Delight. Checking the notes, Fragipani seems to be the reoccuring scent I caught.

Edited November 8, 2006 by Heavenlyrabbit

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: This is sharp citrus to my nose. An undertone reminds me of mandarin orange. This is bright and chill.

 

Wet: It is not as sharp on my skin. It is still very citrusy: citron and orange. This is the blinding light of a winter sun glaring off new-fallen snow.

 

Drying down: As it dries, it is becoming more like a citrus cleaner. It is going soapy on my skin.

 

Dry: Alas, it is soap: lemon/citrus soap. Sadly, this blend does not love me. It is softening more, but that only underlines its resemblance to soap.

 

Later: I did not keep this on long since I do not get along well with it. I hope I can find my bottle a good home.

[sofaking6]

In the bottle: very tangy citrus, sharp, but I can definitely make out the amber warmth already.

 

On wet: same - actually a little bitter more than tangy

 

On dry: oh yeah, that's the stuff. Saffron and orange! The bitter and the tangy faded on drydown and Sol Invictus became VERY soft on me. The warmth of the amber and spice combined with the brightness of the citrus just radiates. It's very sunny. I love this.

[UploadedLobster]

I'm having trouble picking out the amber in here. Mostly it seems to be orange-peely frankincense, with a distinct sharp floral thing going on: probably the saffron and the orange blossom. The result isn't a floral as such, thank goodness. Nor is it sweet. It's a very high-toned scent, stately and imperial. Kinda makes me want to put on a mink capelet and some ruby earrings.

 

There's also a mineral note in it that smells exactly like the carbonation from club soda.

 

 

 

Lobster Rating

Better than: rhinestones

Edited November 10, 2006 by Uploaded Lobster

[empi girl]

I think what I get initially is saffron, heliotrope and frankincense. For a brief time, the citrus and tangerine kick in, lightly, and then they fade again. What ultimately develops is a warm resinous blend, that seems like it has musk in it (perhaps this is the amber doing that?), and on me smells very similar to the drydown of Spellbound, but sharper. This doesn't quite respond well with my skin, being a little sharper than I like, and not sweet at all, but I am so glad I tried it.

[noumenon]

Sol Invictus is growing on me. The first time I sniffed it (in my mad schmear-fest when I tore the package open), I thought it smelled like Pine. But I've given it some more chances, and I realize now that I was picking up the sharpness of the orange peel and frankinsense together, which came out of the gate first when I put it on.

 

After it's dry, the amber and juicy oranges and tangerines come out and stay. Amber lovers are going to be really happy with this, and people who like Moxie (but don't mind losing the herbal background notes) would probably like this too.

 

It's so funny that the first thing I thought was that it was a green scent, and now it's a creamy orange lovefest. But not candy - it's actually very mature. I love it on myself, but if I accidentally put some on a boy, I don't think he'd mind, either.

[PurringPulsar]

Sol Invictus

 

In the bottle: bright sunny citrus with orange blossom. Reminds me of a younger version of Ra.

Wet on skin: this sweetens and softens beautifully once it hits my skin, almost like sugared citrus, which I love.

Dry on skin: now I smell spicy notes of saffron and frankincense come out-this is beautiful! This is reminiscent of two of the Stations of the Sun, Ra and Ahathoor, mixed together and softened with droplets of Et Lux Fuit and Litha! It smells of sharp yet lightly sugared citrus fruits and flowers with a resinous coating of piercing frankincense, a sprinkling of hot, spicy saffron and a gentle, almost innocent undertone of soft heliotrope, and hints of a more exotic floral scent, either frangipani or hibiscus. Like Ra, there's a sweet fruit scent like apricot, but I think that's amber with heliotrope and orange mixed together. This is a stunning and ever-so-sunny scent, brlliantly bright, filled with a youthful energy but with a hint of golden magnificence.

After a while: little Sol has grown up. Gone is the citrus buzz, now I get an almost incense like scent which reminds me of Delight's drydown, no doubt the frangipani. The desert-like dry heat of saffron and smoky frankincense still lingers but is mixed with petals of tropical blooms now. This now smells quite exotic, with rich floral notes mingling with fruity golden amber, saffron and incense. The amber is amazing now, really strong, almost sugared. It seems the sun has moved from it's young, happy, bouncy state to something more regal and sophisticated, a king on a golden throne.

Eventually I'm left with floral amber with just a smidge of spice and citrus. So pretty and full of light.

Verdict: I think I might have a new favourite among the solar oils! I adore this glowing, luminous, warm, gorgeous mix of citrus, floral, spice and resins, it's a scent which brings to mind vivid yellows, gold and orange with tinges of sunrise/set colours thrown in. This brings to mind the divine solar child born at the winter solstice, with the promise of summer's warmth in his eyes. It seems a celebration of many worldly and cultural aspects of the sun-from the sunny vitality it brings, to faraway kingdoms of spice and mystery touched by it's intense heat, to the incenses and offerings offered to solar deities, all mingled with a scent of smiling youth and brilliant light. It's very much like another aspect of Ra or Sol, much nicer and bolder than Et Lux Fuit (which I like better now it's aged, but this one is a little more my thing), and another fantastic rendition of the sun in scent by Beth. It's a fantastic fragrance that could be used ritually, or just as a general pick-me-up, if I ever feel the seasonal-affective thing come on during those dark winter days-or any time my life feels dull and grey, I'll be sniffing this. This really is distilled sunshine in a bottle, and I might need another bottle or two of this!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes! One for multiple bottles!

If you like this, try: Ra, Ahathoor (in fact, all of the Stations of the Sun range!), The Sun, Litha, Et Lux Fuit, The Sun, Sol

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: sharply herbal and bitter

 

Wet: floral with the bitter smell lurking underneath. Amber where art thou?

 

Dry: soft floral and then powder. I did not get any golden goodness at all

[euterpe414]

I first tested this yesterday, only to smell something reminiscent of laundry detergent. I was very dejected. However, before giving up completely, I did a second test just an hour ago. Oddly enough, this time it smells much better. Was I having an off skin chemistry day? Was my nose broken? Who knows.

 

Anyway, it smells very much to me like tart citrus and frankincense. I am not getting a lot of amber predominantly, although it is implied- seems to be more of a hint than a main component. This is indeed very sunny, but not in a cheery way- Sol Invictus is sunny in a more radiant and majestic sense. That, I like. (I am not the most "sunny, cheery" person, so...)

 

So, I almost swapped this bottle away, but I am glad the swapper denied, so that I could try this one more time and find that it is actually quite wonderful.

 

ETA: ugh. So next time I wore it it went back to the detergent thing again. I suppose the one time it was good it was a fluke? Anyhow, the bottle found a new loving home, so all is well.

Edited May 28, 2007 by euterpe414

[cuervosueno]

I wanted this to smell like Tarot: the Sun (although I'm not sure why, since I have a bottle of that!)

 

It does not.

 

I get a kind of laundry soapy note too. Something that is like citrus, but not quite. Then something slightly resiny. It is kind of like a soft orange blossom (if such a thing isn't a contradiction in terms).

 

It fades very very fast on me.

 

It's underwhelming on me, so I'm glad I only got an imp.

[shelldoo]

in bottle: resinous, golden...i don't detect citrus yet

 

wet: deep resins. frankincense, frangipani,some saffron, something vaguely green, and an edge of amber (golden soft and not powdery) still no citrus

 

tjis softens a bit but retains the soft resinous scent i have already, a bit spicey, a bit green, and yet resionous and soft. very unique.

Edited November 19, 2006 by shelldoo

[Lucretia]

At first I didn't know what to make of this. It reminded me a bit of citrus dryer sheets. All manner of citrus with something soft and dry.

 

this, like other yule blends, has grown on me a lot. It's not so much amber and saffron as I hoped, but it is a very mellow, golden, citrus (orange mainly). This scent smells like a texture to me, which is very odd I know, but it's the only way I can describe it. It's sort of.. fluffy, and airy. Like a down pillow. I guess my point is, I can't normally wear citrus because it's too sharp, but this is really muted, and I like that. It's not the spicy blend I hoped for, but it is a lovely citrus and frankincense.

[jasmine]

Concentrating, I can detect the upper citrus note, but that’s about it. Trying to pick single notes out of the melange is really a lost cause. It doesn’t help that there’s multiple citrus notes, and I really have no confidence in telling them apart.

 

But that’s all right, I suppose, because this is going soapy on me. The entire mass is fading into citrus-scented soap. It’s nice soap, fragrant soap, but it’s... soap. I don’t mind a clean scent, but there’s a difference between clean and soapy.

 

The soapiness is wavering in and out. When it isn’t soapy, it’s high-pitched and floral, but when it’s soapy, it’s citrusy soap. Peculiar. Not actively offensive, but certainly not for me.

 

More time passes, and the soapiness fades -- thank goodness. Now, Sol Invictus is a soft floral haze. I can’t pick out the citrus any more. It’s subtle and fresh and appealing, but it isn’t appealing enough to wipe out my distaste at the “hello, soap!” stage.

 

...and then it goes back to soap again. Ah, seesaw scents. I don’t think my opinion is going to improve.

[Heretic]

In the bottle: Sharply resinous and a little sweet.

On my wrist, wet: Orange blossom with the cloying edge removed-- it smells nothing like that first sniff from the bottle.

After 20 minutes: The blossom scent fades quickly and reveals a deep, rich orange scent that is tempered by the majestic grounding of resinous frankincense and the warmth of saffron. It reminds me of a more complex Ra, evoking the essence of the sun at one of its most gentle, yet powerful, stages.

After 40 minutes: Sol Invictus dries down to a soft, warm floral. I get faint traces of amber in the final stage of this blend, mixed with the complex frangipani note and just a touch of orange blossom. This is one of those blends that I was impatiently anticipating-- a sometimes unwise thing to do, because the oil very often does not meet my expectations. In this case, Sol Invictus is everything I wanted and expected the blend to be. It does not have a huge throw, but this type of scent doesn't warrant one-- it's intimate and personal, mature and understated, yet quietly powerful. I absolutely love this blend and will order another two or three bottles before it sets on the not too distant horizon.

[valentina]

Sol Invictus is a sharp, herbal-floral scent when I sniff it -- it smells very much like warmth and pollen to me. When it hits my skin, what I instantly think of is sunflowers! I think that's probably the saffron and helitrope blending together. After it dries down a while, I also pick up a citrusy element lingering behind the gold herbal-floral smell. I pick up very little resin in this blend, mainly the gold-orange smells. This is seemingly the anti-cold, anti-dark smell of the Yules -- it's the antidote to the short, dark days of December.

[forspecial_plate]

Hmmm... *scratches head* ....skin chemistry can be a crazy thing. When I put on Sol Invictus, it is very soft and faint. I can smell a golden and sunny citrus, a nice smell, but so subtle....I was thinking, maybe this would bloom on my skin and gain power, kind of like Aureus does on me. No such luck!! After a few minutes, I almost can't find where I applied it! It turned a little powdery, then disappeared almost completely.

 

I will try again, if there are any changes I will amend my review. For now I'll just say it reminded me of Jacob's Ladder only much softer.

[jewelbug]

 

I've tried Sol Invictus twice so far, and I've had two very different results...

 

Imp: Grassy orange. Sharper than I expected, more "perfumey."

 

Wet: Very sharp and herbal notes with hints of biter citrus and something sweeter/almost creamy. But there is still an overriding sharp/green/perfumey smell. The impression is a sharp green and orange smell.

 

Now, here is where my two different trials diverge:

Try #1, Dry: Sol Invictus remains a sharp, almost bitter perfumey scent with wafts of green and orange for about 1-2 hrs, then starts to settle into a sweeter amber with orange and creamy compliments. I like the drydown, but the sharp first few hours aren't my thing. Lasted 4-5 hrs, which is relatively short compared to other blends I wear.

 

Try #2, Dry: Sweet orangey amber for about 10 minutes and then completely gone.

 

Overall: This is a very sophisticated scent, and I really like the late drydown when it stuck around. I can't explain why my first try with this disappeared so completely, but on Try #2, the wet phase was much closer to the late drydown of the other try, which I liked better. At any rate, it seems to be really unpredictable on my skin chemistry!

 

Its a very pretty dard gold scent, and seems related to jacob's ladder to me (sol is more herbal and orange and sweet/less powdery/less throw). I would recommend trying SolI if Jacob's amber was too much for you. My personal preference lies towards Jacob.

Edited November 26, 2006 by jewelbug

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: This is one of those scents that has notes that run together in the bottle. This often tends to happen for me with scents that have lots of amber. Although this is a "sunny scent," the overall effect I get is the same I got from the darker ambers in Haunted and Hymn to Proserpine.

 

Wet: OK, I'm pretty sure that I picked up on the amber in the bottle, because that's what hits my skin first. It definitely reminds me of the two blends I listed above, and I'm really getting a "Haunted" vibe from it. There is frankincense in here, but it isn't listed as a main ingredient. There's the barest hint of orange in the back, but orange does not brighten a scent for me. The lighter, brighter notes are absent on my skin.

 

Drydown and wear: I swear that I've said this somewhere before, but I think my skin can do weird things when amber is involved. All of these notes dry down to a very powdery amber within 45 minutes.

[supremegoddessofall]

I specifically didn't order a bottle of this one because I counted four seprate citrus notes and said "oh hell no." So I predict I will hate this. *sniff* Citrus hell, although it's fading quickly. Still not for me, unsurprisingly. Can't get anything else out of this other than a touch of amber.