The Darkling Thrush

[roxyhead]

The hope of springtime penetrating winter darkness. Snow, darkness, and icy air illuminated by the thrush’s song: warm amber, soft orris, and melancholy violet.

I'm coming to the unfortunate conclusion, after going through a bunch of yule bottles, that I don't like the Lab's snow notes, much as I *wanted* to smell something like fresh snow, it always seems to come out as greenish-something-floral, which I'm certain is what some aquatic bubblebath smells like, instead. However, this one seems to be the best of the lot, not having any giant florals of doom, nothing that would smell like soap if it weren't for the fact that there's a kind of soap that smells like *it*, and it seems to calm down to something a bit warm. I can almost vaguely smell the dryer sheets if I try hard, but that may just be my imagination. Having once owned a perfume intended to smell like dryer sheets, that would be a good thing, but alas, I haven't had anything turn obviously dryer sheets on me. I can't seem to smell any mint or pine, much as I'd like to. Maybe yule at the Lab just isn't my time of year...I keep hoping for something that'll smell like the snow covered pine of the nightlight Airwick in the bathroom! Oh well.

[hypatia]

I love Thomas Hardy's poems, so I had to try this one. In the bottle it smells very violet; just on, there are violets and a strong, sweet note -- almost an artificial-sweetener kind of sweet (with a lurking almost-bitterness underneath it). The first time I tried it, I put on a little too much, and found the sweetness rather off-putting. It died down after a while, but I was worried this blend and I wouldn't get along.

 

But when I apply it more sparingly, it's easier to tell the notes apart, and there's that fascinating slushy note, almost minty (as others have said), under and around the florals. It makes the violet and orris more interesting. At the end of the day, what's left is a creamy amber with a few hints of the florals and the slightest aquatic edge to it. Turns out the Darkling Thrush and I get along just fine, after all.

 

I also tried a few drops of it in a bath, and it was fantastic -- it made the water smell somehow more watery, with a lovely faint hint of violets.

[alston78]

In the bottle: The violet and fir notes are dominant, making for an overall impression that is cool, sharp but oddly soft at the same time, and feminine.

 

Wet: Decidedly aquatic, with violet underneath. I can't smell much of the amber at all. The aquatics and florals blend very nicely, though.

 

Drydown: I think this blend really evokes the images and feel of the poem that inspired it. The aquatic scent, mixed with a bit of fir, stands out on top, and it is this scent that wafts the most for me (moderate throw - I can smell it as I type and I only dotted one wrist!). When I sniff underneath, I can smell the violet, mixed with something herbal that grounds it a bit. On me, the herbal smell and the faintest hint of amber keep the violet from becoming too powdery. I've had it on for an hour or so now and it is as strong as it was at application, with little morphing so far. I suspect it will last a while because aquatic scents usually do on me.

 

Overall: This is a beautiful blend but it doesn't quite work for me - however, this is only because my skin amps aquatic notes so much that they tend to make me a bit queasy after a while. Aside from the personal reaction, this blend is really evocative of its poem, well blended, and the way the violet and amber gently peek out is charming. I'm glad I got to try this even though it didn't work out.

[mooncityminx]

In the Imp: Astringent smell that reminds me of doctors offices.

 

Wet: Florals galore. That seems to be the luck I had with most of the Yule blends. I think it's mainly my skin chemistry.

 

Dry: Something about it now smells like ocean and something sweet. It's like someone invented a disinfectant and scented it with kelp. I don't understand why I would smell kelp or disinfectant in a blend described as amber orris and violet but there it is.

[Jilara]

Wet, this is chill and forest-y. It makes me feel like penetrating cold in a bottle. I couldn't help but think it would be a good summer scent, putting one in mind of shivering in a dark woodland.

 

On drying, it warms up. The violet note, which really makes me think of those square violet mints, comes up as it dries down. Later, the amber notes bloom out. The chill is only a background sensation, after about an hour.

 

Overall, a beautiful scent, but it fades away fairly quickly, leaving only a distant memory of chilly beauty.

[mspixieears]

I instantly get violet from this, very strongly. Something very minty in this though of course it’s not actually mint – just reminds me of that. It actually smells very masculine, this particular mint-like note. It definitely is very wintry and a great follow-up to The Snow Maiden, which I was wearing earlier in the day. The mint note seems to have developed and now it seems like genuine mint after all! I even get a hint of true lemon. This is a bit too strong for me I think.

[GoldenRubee]

Darkling Thrush is a nice, lightly violet scent that reminds me of the the last days of snow and the first days of Spring. The amber adds the slightest bit of spice that warms this up like the first rays of sunshine in the morning. I can also smell a sweetness in here too that make this a little on the romantic side. There is something here that I just can't put my finger on-is it vanilla? I really find this to be a delightful oil and I'm very pleased that I was abled to purchase it.

[filigree_shadow]

This has the cold scent that so many of the Yule scents have -- which amps outrageously on my skin, unfortunately. This one feels a little softer than usual because of the florals, but it doesn't seem that different to me than all the other cold blends. (It's terrible that they all smell the same on me. Stupid skin.) It's pretty, though.

[Emera]

I don't know a lot of notes, so this is not going to be the most helpful of reviews...

 

IN THE IMP: Generic sweet evergreen, with a bit of sharpness. I’m a little disappointed at this point, since it’s bordering on fakey holiday scent.

ON SKIN: Yup, still holiday-like, edging toward those bowls of potpourri with cinnamon sticks and gilded pinecones in them. As it warms up, though, it rounds out and loses the fakeness. Spicy-woodsy, with a velvety-sweet undertone (the amber?) and the tiniest whisper of cold, gritty soil and clear floral. Now I can see the snowy trees, and the breath of violets.

LATER: Verdict – not something I’d really want to wear (the top notes are strong enough to near headache triggers for me), but definitely a wintry, green scent. Pretty decent throw, too.

[Neely]

In the bottle: snow, we slushy snow that Beth does so well, along with mint and violes.

 

Wet: slushy snow, and violets with a hint of mint.

 

Dry down: still lovely cold and wet slushy snow. I hope this comes back next year, I love this.

 

30 minutes: snow, cold and slushy with violets, and the amber has come out ever so slightly. Small and flighty just like the Thrush. Amber gives this just a touch of warmth in an otherwise cold landscape. I can see myself looking out over a snow covered countryside in England, standing at a wrought iron gate in Victorian garb. My violet perfume mingling with the scent of snow. Beautiful!

 

Conclusion: one of my favorite Yulies!

 

Rating 1-5: on my skin this is a 5.

[Mimicake]

Mmm! Minty and sweet with a touch of frost. A beautiful and well-blended scent that dries down to a lovely teasing violet.

[Babylon]

Smelling this in the middle of summer instantly transports me to a cold winter day. It smells like Nuclear Winter (slushy snow and mint), with the addition of a soft amber. I don't smell the violets at all, which is nice, as they usually turn to powder on me.

[DifferentDances]

Bottle: Candy pine with a hint of berries.

Wet: Earthy, swarthy sugar berries. Ooooh....might this be an amber that works on me?

Drydown: After a bit, the awesome sugar berries fade, leaving behind warmed fir and something chilly, like that first moment inside a warm house with a bright fire and fresh-smelling wreaths after having stepped in from out of the darkest cold of winter.

Dry: Chilly with an undercurrent of fir/pine.

 

My rating: 4/5. This is a deliciously emotive blend, one best suited for occasions when I'm wandering by myself and feeling haughty and mysterious.

[alicia_stardust]

This is very much a BPAL-snow scent: white and slushy and aquatic with a hint of mint or cucumber or whatever it is that gives their "snow" such a characteristic scent.

 

Below that I get a hint of depth and wintry darkness. The amber is very nice, but not as resinous as I expected. It mixes strangely with the pine, otherwise I'd be keeping this without a doubt. I'm very glad I tried it, though. If you like snow scents this is a good one to check out.

[arabella]

First Impression: Sweet and fizzy - like champagne.

Dries down to: Fruit notes - peach emerging from a bed of herbs.

Additional Comments: This has good throw. I don't get any violet at all. I think it's the orris that's amping up and it feels like there's musk in here instead of amber - very confuising scent for me.

Lasted: 2-3 hours.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

[hillarygayle]

This one is FASCINATING! It smells cold & sharp at first sniff, and I tried it on initially for the "darkness" note that always gives a bit of a metallic tang that smells so good on my skin. However, on drydown a strange, sneaking warmth crept in. Now this scent reminds me of nothing so much as taking a walk in the snow on one of those clear, sharp days where the sky looks so high, but wearing a fat, fur-lined jacket in a really warm color like orange or red. I absolutely can't believe that an amber note is playing nice on me, but it IS! Oh how depressed I am to have fallen in love with another LE.

[alhbooks]

I swapped for a partial bottle of this and I must say that the aging process has been good to it. A lovely soft violet with subtly dark undertones. I'm delighted to have it. Anytime I can't stop sniffing my wrist, it's a keeper.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Powdery flowers dusted with snow.

 

Wearing: It’s sweeter than I expected, a very gentle, quiet sweetness shining through the cold.

[zankoku_zen]

Ah, for me, alot of snowy scents will be measured against the Ice Queen standard.

 

This one, shares a few commonalities with the IQ. It's got that 'snowy' smell without an aggressive pine, and it also has a softer floral going on. It's like the Darkling Thrush is IQ's little sister - softer, not as chilly, not as aggressive. I don't get a great throw out of it.

 

Even the husband says it smells kinda similar.

 

For me, it's missing the intensity. But other than that, my imp is a keeper. Esp, when I feel like IQ, but may be leary of cutting into my hoard.

[AEris]

This has that cold pine + lunar herbal feel that I associate with scents like Old Moon and Moon of Ice.

 

It's actually so similar to Old Moon that I can't really tell the difference. I think this is because pine tends to amp on me. I wish I could smell violet. : -(

 

It's very nice, but I don't think I would wear it again.

 

3.1 out of 5

[TessaGi]

In the Bottle: Cool, pale green, and crisp-smelling - like standing in the woods in the deep of winter. I get a lot of mint or pine in the imp, that's probably what's smelling so green.

 

On Skin/Wet: I'm getting a lush green herb scent, more of that than I do the violet. The aquatic notes are hovering in the back, lightly sweet and keeping this from getting too sweet from the violet and amber.

 

On Skin/Dry: Whoa, hello delicious As Darkling Thrush dries it becomes more lightly floral and perfumey, yet not overpoweringly so. I'm still smelling aquatics, and a bit of something camphor-ish in the back. All I can really say is YUM - so far this is my favourite of the imps that I received today. Very light, cool, and feminine, and the scent does an excellent job of evoking the poem - this is standing in the woods in the still of winter at twilight, shivering slightly, and listening to all of the little sounds of nature.

 

Final Verdict: I love this. Love, love, love. I can't stop smelling myself. I think I'm going to be reduced to begging shamelessly for another decant/bottle of this.

[isisonearth]

Imp: Icy cold violet and iris. Chilly but enticing.

 

Wet: Fresh and sweet with a bit of the cold note I loved in Crow Moon. The orris has something powdery about it. I feel like I get a touch of pine. I haven't read the reviews for it so I'm not sure if that is my imagination or not.

 

Dry: It had a soapy moment but that has passed. The warm amber is just a tiny whisper of the thrush's song. Sometimes I think I hear it and other times winter seems absolute. Mainly snowy florals with that magical, unexpected touch of pine lingering.

[rayvn1]

Brrrr! Sharp, astringent snow and ozone. Even the hints of violet are a little sharp like bruised leaves of an aromatic plant. Reminds me quite a bit of Death of the Gravedigger. I like it very much, I'm just not sure how much anyone else will want to smell it on me, though...

[surlygurl]

Ooh! This is nice! It doesn't morph much on my skin, and I don't know how to describe it except in pictures, so here goes:

 

When it touches my skin, I smell a barely there touch of mint, then lots of purple. I don't know what the purple is - it's not lavender or grape or anything else I can identify. You know the crayola color "purple mountains majesty"? It smells like that, but like that underneath frost crystals. The purple is obscured by / reflected in the ice crystals. It's a very clean, chilly scent. Perfect to wear on a summer morning before the heat kicks in.

 

I shall cherish my decant, and if this makes a return one of these Yules I will gladly grab a bottle!

[pseedie]

~~the darkling thrush~~

 

orris hates me. But don't tell the orris in the darkling thrush. This is one awesome (in the Eddie Izzard way) fragrance. It is winter, it is gloaming, it is a single songbird searching out enough to make it's next meal. It is deep and subtle. AND I FOUND A BOTTLE!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!