The Winter of Our Discontent

[sookster]

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums chang'd to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visag'd war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now, -- instead of mounting barbed steeds
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries, --
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
But I, -- that am not shap'd for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them; --
Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun,
And descant on mine own deformity:
And therefore, -- since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days, --
I am determined to prove a villain,
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence and the king
In deadly hate the one against the other:
And if King Edward be as true and just
As I am subtle, false, and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up, --
About a prophecy which says that G
Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul...

Embrace your villainy: balsam, myrrh, mandarin orange, bitter clove, artemesia, rosewood, nutmeg, dark musk, smoke and cypress.

straight sniff from bottle is a very cool and almost calming scent...smells very
watery to me

once applied i immediately sense a delicate rose and some musk...the rose gets deeper and deeper as time goes on...this is a very interesting scent indeed....
somewhat of a rose incense....a touch of the nutmeg...a bit sharp...gosh...this
is incredible...the most amazing thing about this blend is how much it amps with
my chemistry but remains so beautiful...i love what beth did with this one..
bravo!!

[nineveh]

Dark, smoky, spicy (I can really smell the nutmeg), a bit murky/dusty, and unsweet. It's warm, but it's not a friendly scent. Verging on traditionally masculine with an aura of power.

 

I like it except for the note that smells like bay leaves or something else used for cooking. It subsides somewhat as it dries, but it's still making me think of various seasonings.

 

I think that it really fits the title. Hm, actually now it's starting to resemble King of Clubs, one of my favorite BPALs. It still has that bay leaf thing though. Go away, bay leaf!

 

I will hang onto my bottle for now to see if it grows on me or changes for the better over a little time.

 

edit: Just tried it again and now it smells like clove cigarettes over various dark herbs. Yum!

Edited November 5, 2006 by nineveh

[UltraViolet]

 

In the bottle

I smell balsam and cypress...and I agree with the above poster it's like a bay leave scent (I don't like that).

 

On

Now I smell , nutmeg and clove. I love these so that is a great thing. I must admit I don't smell orange nor any musk. What I do smell is gorgeous though, almost reminds me of Three Witches, the first one. But add to that more of a woody and cypress smell.

 

30 minutes

I can see how some may not like this and some will be in love with it.

 

Throw:

No

 

Scent category:

Foody/Woodsy/Green

 

Summary

Mu summary is that I'm not sure if I like this or hate it.

I also think it is aptly titled.

 

Purchase again?

No. It's almost too complex if that makes any sense.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

3 because I cannot decide on this one. It's almost like two blends for me *scratches head*

[Little Bird]

So many of the Yule blends have had really iffy notes as far as my skin chemistry is concerned (much thanks to all of my lovely friends who gifted me with decants to try <3). Winter of Our Discontent is a dark, bitter, sharp scent on me.

 

First on, I’m hit with a masculine and smoky sort of musk (a type of black musk?). It strikes me as smelling like a man’s cologne that I don’t really care for; it’s perfumey and a bit cold.

 

In the drydown, the clove, nutmeg, and rosewood come out to play. Rosewood takes on its usual acrid sharpness, and the spices are not helping to mellow it out any. The spice here isn’t sweet on me, so the overall impression is cold and bitterly acidic.

 

Summing it up: Really sharp, overpowering rose-ish note with the aptly described bitter clove. Rose plus spice is a combo that rarely works on me. After an hour, this smells like molding woods and dirty ash tray with hints of sharp rose. Blech. This is another Yulie that I’ll have to pass on getting a full bottle of…

Edited November 17, 2006 by Blood onmy hands

[wolfie13]

In the bottle: I love it at this point - it smells dark and cold (without being a "snow" scent) - really getting lots of balsam and myrhh at this point and a tiny touch of orange, a wisp of smoke.

 

Wearing: Uh-oh. I'm not gonna lie, people. The "rosey" aspect of the rosewood skyrockets ahead and takes over for a while. And the throw is quite loud and "rosey" too. Cry.

 

After about 30 minutes: Okay, okay - the rose has calmed down quite a bit - overall the scent has taken a woody, smoky incense turn. And clove. Getting very clovey. (But my skin does amp that one, so you may get less).

 

This reminds me of a cross between something like Harlot (the only rose scent i wore and liked) and Rose Cross. And cloves.

 

I'm undecided on this one! At first I was like no way, but now I'm all - wait, maybe I love it!

 

ETA: Soft spicy rose on the drydown. Ultimately not a standout on me.

Edited November 7, 2006 by wolfie13

[indicolite]

This is indeed cold, but in a very interesting way. It is clove, cypress, and what I think is artemisia. A very interesting spicy blend, and one I quite like. I am waiting for the myrrh to come out. However, I think this may be a blend I will need to stock up on.

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: I smell warm spices and resins, chilled.

 

Wet: This is the feeling of trying to stay warm in winter. The spices hum with subtle florals and herbs. It tickles my nose, but in a good way.

 

Drying down: The mix is incense-like. This has a sense of unrest, as if someone took R.M. Renfield and made him much quieter.

 

Dry: This is chilly and agitated, which is apropos to its name. It is complex and aloof, yet captivating.

 

Later: I have smelled something similar before in a holiday blend by one of those craftspeople who ply their wares in college studen unions. Her version burned my skin and made me sneeze. This version is everything that blend wanted to be and more. It mellows on my skin into something smoother and more pretty, but it retained its chilly complexity. This one is a keeper!

[chrisann]

I bought two bottles of this because of the Name and the tempting decription. Needless to say, I'm so glad I did!!! I may need to buy more.

 

Wet: This for me is the iffy stage (as I'm discovering with most of my bpal scents) I smell dry resins, woods, and I swear on me.. eucalyptus? Hmmm.. and it's all watery faint on me. I have to keep looking at my wrist to confirm I've applied enough.

 

30 Minutes: Oh the intoxicating loveliness! Spicy Rosewood indeed. Sophisticated and sexy. Complex and blooming. Now, I know I put enough of this perfume on. It's unfolding so enticingly.

 

Drydown: The spicy floral notes start to morph into a drier scent. I smell faint wisps of leather and clove.

 

A winner! Beth never ceases to amaze me. (nose still pressed to my wrist)

[Bagfish]

Love the idea, thought the blend would suit. But no.

 

Bitter cloves and more cloves spiced with a little bit of nutmeg. Not a hint of sweetness to start with. I smelled like the real smell of cloves and of nutmeg, dry, bitter and dusty. The balsm doesn't temper Winter on my skin.

 

It is only on extreme drydown (8+ hours - this baby lasts!) that I get any sweetness. The rosewood, balsm and musk come out after being hidden by the cloves.

 

Unfortunately this is not one for me. Off to sales, and yes I am discontented!

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: nutmeg and myrrh. Dry not sweet like a craft store candle. Very nice.

 

Wet: something floral this way comes.

 

Dry: apparently rosewood smells like rose on me. Rose turns to power on me. Darned wonky chemistry. I think this oil would be gorgeous on someone who can wear rose and spices.

[maijasu]

In the bottle, this smells murky. I can't pick out much of anything, other than a hint of citrus. I don't have high hopes for it, honestly.

 

On my skin... Yummy resins and spices. A hint of rose, but it's not soapy. And also, just a little bit of that elusive BPAL "chilly" scent. I've truly never smelled anything like it. I may need another bottle before it goes away, especially since I just decanted an imp for swapping. Amazing!

[Malista]

I have about 3 seconds to enjoy the spices, fruit and wood in Winter of Our Discontent, at which point the myrrh wells up and floods every other note out of existence. Since myrrh is bitter and nasty on me, this is not a good thing.

 

I hoped the other notes (all of them good on me, many of them quite strong) would overpower the myrrh in this blend, but alas, it was not to be.

[Lucretia]

oh how I want to love this one, but I really don't. At first I get spices (sort of like chai) and something lurking that smells horrible on me. I take a sniff and smile at the spices but I'm repulsed by what's under them, which I think is myrrh or balsam. These generally don't work on me, and I guess it's the case here too.

After a few minutes the ugh factor subsides and I get rosewood and spices. Smells sort of like a rosewood box that someone has been keeping spices in. Also smoky, like incense. At this point I actually like it, but I can't abide the dry down! We'll have to see about this one, I may need to give it another chance. I also wonder how this would age.

 

ETA OK, I tried this one again, and I actually like it now. I know what to expect during the dry down so I'm not as put off by it. This is in essence a very serious rose scents. This is neither dewey roses at a wedding nor hauty roses on an older woman. This is roses in a library, roses at a funeral, the damn goddamn serious roses I've smelled. It's actually very beautiful, and a nice warm winter rose what with the spices and all. It grows on you!

Edited November 20, 2006 by Lucretia

[maribouquet]

imp: nutmeg and clove and I think the balsam?

wet: rosewood! mandarin! God, this is gorgeous.

 

As it dries I can smell the smoke - wafts around me, good throw on that note. And it's a nice, clean smoke, like the wisps from a young fire, combined with what I think might be myrrh? Sort of warm and incense-like?

 

10 min: I'm getting a bit of that 'bay leaf' note others have mentioned on one wrist. Not so great. But then it goes away.

 

20 min: Went to powder

 

I think this is so interesting and delicious for winter that I'm going to try it a few more times. In the meantime I'm using it in my burner and it smells wonderful - the nutmeg gives it a warm, dry spice. My room now smells invigorating & clear, rich with greens, reds and browns.

[sh1mm3r]

I got this as a decant.

 

In the bottle, and when it was still wet on my skin, it was very musky and foresty, but in a bad, almost astringent way.

 

There was a point when it was drying where it was nutmeg, cloves and oranges, with a background of the forest, which is almost what Yuletide smells like on me.

 

Dry, it's SO astringent, almost lemony, and all woods and roses.

[cuervosueno]

Ok, I'm going to post a review though i suspect I will have to redo it, because while reviewing Samhainphobia, I discovered my sense of smell is wildly off due to my cold/flu whatever it is I have.

 

But that said.....Winter of Our Discontent smells nothing like I imagined it to. It smells.....blue. Slightly aquatic, but more like blue shadows on snow. There's a little spice in that blue. then I get the rosewood which smells kind of like sawdust on roses, which is wierd, because that's not what rosewood usually smells like to me.

 

I'll report back when i can smell things better....

 

Recovered nose report: Hmm...this is a complex scent and I'm having a hard time getting a grip on it. Most of the above review still stands, though I get less sawdust then I did when I was sick. It is still slightly aquatic on me. Overall, interesting, but not me.

Edited November 23, 2006 by cuervosueno

[storme]

In the imp: balsam and wood and clove, very acrid and bitter.

 

On me, wet: hmm, everything faded down to a skin-scent smoke-and-wood resin-ish scent.

 

On me, dry: slightly acrid generic-perfume-scent, slightly baby-powderish under the smoke. Enh.

 

Verdict: I love the name, but the scent isn't going to work on me at all.

[forspecial_plate]

I didn't get very far with this one. Smelled promising at first, soapy, but not in a bad way...kind of sharp and spicy/sweet. Very shortly after applying, a strong powder note emerged and smushed everything else under the carpet. I think it's rosewood that's doing this to me because King of Hearts did the same thing. So disappointing!

[Miss*J]

In vial: Really intriguing in the decant vial.

Couldn't decide if it was too mannish and therefore goes to my DH, or just undeveloped.

Wet: Still thought it might be too mannish and a wee bit too soapy. Ready to write it off as his.

 

Honestly I forgot about it for several hours and then laid down to take a nap.

Put my arm over my head and went," Wow!"

 

So sexy, even hours later. Nutmeg, rose, woods. The myrrh stays in the background to deepen the smell and never turns into the hippie nightmare it usually does on me.

 

A bottle or two is in order. This is a seriously sexy, powerful scent.

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Smoky spices in myrrh with just a *touch* of citrus.

 

On me: Interesting! *Very* musky. It's still smoky spices in myrrh, and I'm getting a touch more of the citrus now. Clove is the predominant spice.

[kakiphony]

In the imp: Evergreens, with just a touch of dark spices (mainly the nutmeg I think) buried deep down underneath. The spices are almost an after-smell, if there is such a thing.

 

Wet on skin: Wow. This almost disappears into my skin at first. It takes a good minute or two (long enough to go find my computer, pull up this listing, and start the review) before I can smell anything at all. Then, the evergreen (the balsam?) is back, with a touch of dry woods and a dark musk rising up through it all. There's not much throw at this stage though.

 

Early dry down: After the first ten minutes, the evergreen note is still dominant, but now there's a smoky element to it. I get the same bay/cooking scent that other people have noted, but it's hard to pin down because it plays hide n' seek through the balsam and the smoke. The musk in this is amping much less than dark musks usually do on me. I'm not getting a "cold" vibe from this one at all. Instead, it feels like standing beside a fire at the Christmas tree farm. It's not a normal perfume smell for me, and I'm actually thinking that, for me, this one might be a better room scent.

 

I'll be back to update with later dry down notes from work...

 

After half an hour: As usual, my body chemistry is doing totally different things with this oil on my left and right wrists. The right wrist is all myrrh. I mean ALL myrrh. It's cologny and a bit bitter. The left wrist, on the hand, has turned into a haven for the spice elements in the blend. Clove is there, and nutmeg too, plus the bay/green cooking spice smell. The musk is turning powdery on that wrist, which gives the spices a strange baby's butt undertone.

 

Note: The one thing I'm not getting from this that seems to turn up in multiple reviews is rose. That would be an absolute deal breaker for me as it makes me sneeze, but the rosewood in this does not manifest as in any way floral on me.

 

Late dry down: An hour after the initial application, I can safely say that, while not unpleasant, this scent really isn't for me. (Except maybe as a room scent, which I'll try over the weekend.) The left wrist turned into baby powder with an underlayer of cloves, while the right risk is MYRHH with a base of wood. I prefer the right wrist to the left -- but it's too "traditional perfume" for me.

Edited November 22, 2006 by kakiphony

[slave1]

THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT

 

In Bottle: Spicy woods

 

On Skin: I smell the clove right away, it always loves to amp on me. The woods are dark and full and the smoke drifts through each note lightly coating them. The nutmeg and clove give the scent a sweet spice while the orange gives a lightly tart note, the combination makes me think of X-mas right away. Something about oranges, cloves and nutmeg is instant holiday feel. The myrrh offers a nice incense that also sweetens the scent, while the musk adds to the darkness and gives the scent great depth. This is a great scent for a villain, so wicked and mysterious. It is also quite light so even if you’re a bit put off by dark or smoky scents you should try this since it’s a “lighter” dark scent if that makes any sense. It does seem a bit more masculine. I think it’s beautiful but a bit too smoky for me. It has a light to medium throw and average wearlength.

[valentina]

I hesitated trying Winter of Our Discontent because it has a lot of typical no-no components for me (evergreen, rose, clove), but how could I not try a scent with such a name? In the imp, I smelled a lot of greenery and spice. I didn't even test it for a while, because I was convinced it wouldn't work -- and at first, certainly, the evergreen scent is predominate, with a bit of dark, spicy resins thrown in. Amazingly, this scent mellows as it dries down and is so complex and well-blended that it's difficult to pull one specific component. I can smell the rose, but I can also smell the greens, and the cloves and frankincense. It's probably another good unisex fragrance -- I think it could smell great on a man, but it's also resiny, smoky and a bit floral, so it's lovely dark, smoldering wintertime scent for a woman. I really enjoy this scent and of all the decants that I've tried, I think that I may have to order a bottle of this.

[jewelbug]

Imp: This is punch-you-in-the-nose-nutmeg. I absolutely adore the smell of nutmeg--I'm the type that grates half of an entire nutmeg nut into a 4 oz glass of egg nog. This is most promising!

 

Wet : Still nutmeg, but there is a rose smell to it, I guess rosewood can smell like rose florals? There is also an herbal smell. It actually smells like sweet woodruff to me, but I am guessing it’s the artemesia.

 

Drying: Whoa, that rose smell is taking over, and my beloved nutmeg is gone… No worries, 10 mins later, and the balance is better. Its still rosey, but I can smell the spices and woodsier notes. Its like "beautiful woman with a quick tongue" smell to me. Sexy and powerful. It reminds me of something I've smelled before…maybe baghdad? Its been a long time since I tried that, but…maybe that's what it is?

 

Dry: A velvety, spicy rose blend, and the rosewood really smells good to me (i typically don't do rose). I smell the nutmeg (though not nearly as strong as in the imp), with a bit of clove and warm resins/woods. It’s a lovely blend.

 

Overall: This is a sexy mysterious woman's power blend, a beautiful dark spiced rose. I love the scent, but its not in the genre of scents I typically wear. I think I'll have to test drive this decant a few more times before deciding on a bottle.

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[fiddlehead]

Lots of spices and woods at first. Then it dries down into mostly myrrh on my skin. Sort of reminds me of...Omen, I think. But not quite as masculine as I think Omen is. I'll have to try this a few more times. I did get a brief sniff of something Rose-like and a bit of the herbiness of Artemesia. But it was but a passing phase

 

 

ETA: I'm trying this again in April, just for fun. This time it's reminding me of one of those Christmas oranges studded with cloves and rolled in spices. Then it morphs into spicy old fashioned rose scent but also still reminds me of the clove studded orange. Definitely a Victorian-ish vibe going on here. Potpourri-ish. I was thinking of picking up a bottle, but it's so distinctively "Christmas" that I believe my imp will do.

Edited April 16, 2007 by fiddlehead