The Winter of Our Discontent

[tartchef]

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

Freakishly faint... no really. Where is it? I can catch a very faint whiff of cypress, deep & almost oily, and a vague wash of soapy rosewood, myrrh & clove.



I got a decant of this on a whim, and am glad it wasn't on my must-try list - I'd have been really disappointed. I'll hang onto this for a bit & see if a week or two of aging does anything to improve things... Edited November 11, 2008 by tartchef

[dluszcz]

I'm disappointed on this one: Clod and the Pebble-sque, but less baked-ham-ish

[porcelina]

at first, WooD is very woodsy and smokey, with a touch of bitter clove. and this clove is REALLY bitter. i think i'd like it better if that was a bit sweeter. it goes through a stage at the beginning in which it smells, deliciously, of burning leaves- the way i wanted last halloween's october to smell! not much spice. it's lovely, at that stage. the myrrh starts to peek out and that doesn't agree with me so much. later, it morphs bizarrely and becomes strangely soapy. i think this one needs to settle down some more. we'll see how aging affects it.

[greenranger]

2008 version.

 

 

Hm. *looks for the leather she is smelling on the note list and doesn't find it* Well, maybe it's the musk, which would explain it; I smelled leather right off...and usually when leather is in a blend I get a perfumey start till the leather note settles down, which sometimes takes a while. I suppose musk can smell like leather. I wondered why it was being so straightforward, and now I know it wasn't. =)

 

So far I really like it. I'm not picking out individual notes...but...this smells like a villain. Someone not out in the sunlight, but, back in the shadows, moving his pieces on the board, and possibly knifing someone in the back.

 

No florals, so I don't need to worry about the musk+floral problem some blends have for me. Unless this fades in too short a time, or changes dramatically, I think I am happy to have the bottle.

 

~edit~

I love this one, actually, and my only complaint is that it does settle down to a skin scent where I have get close and sniff to smell it. Not a large amount of throw, but, I can't stop sniffing this...It starts off very nice, and just gets better smelling on my skin as time goes by. What is left at the end is an amazing myrrh and spice scent. *sighs*

 

 

I may end up ordering a second bottle before it goes away.

Edited November 20, 2008 by Aerinha

[crebbsgirl]

I get mandarin and clove notes predominantly here. Which is awesome because both very much smell like Yule to me. There is an undercurrent of musk/dark spice/smoke that lends an air of desolation and foreboding to the blend. This is by no means a cheerful scent. I can faintly detect rosewood, but only if I'm really looking for it. I cannot detect the nutmeg at all. I really expected this scent to be a little heavier, but the throw on me is minimal. It's nice, but I don't think I'll be purchasing a bottle.

[marared]

Man, I was so disappointed - I had such high hopes for this and it smells terrible on me. It's a very bitter woodsy smell, and it isn't the balsam, so maybe it's the cypress or the artemesia -- the latter of which is described on wikipedia as also being "bitter," so that might be the culprit. It's also very hard to wash off - I still get a whiffs after scrubbing.

 

I'm going to let it sit for a few weeks, as I do with all scents that don't work on me right away, but I'm pretty sure this is going to hit the swap pile.

[Dianora]

This is the smell of winter. Not christmas winter, which is sweet and spicy with hope and cheer, but a desolate, lonely winter. It's perfect for a dreary overcast day, or the day after christmas when all the presents have been ravaged and the tree sits in the corner dying. In the bottle, this smells spicy and of something like dried pine needles, which must be the cypress. On, this gets sharp and bitter and somehow delicious, the bitter clove spices things up while the cypress and smoke blend to make this woodsy and brooding. As it dries, the woods seem to dry as well, and I'm left with something that manages to convey desolation and dreariness without being overpoweringly sad. It is very dark and slightly bitter, but somehow the spice makes this pop in a very good way.

 

This scent has the potential to be very masculine and bitter, but I think it's also really good on me, and I'm anything but masculine. To me, this is a perfect scent for a cold, dark winter when you want to smell like anything but christmas candles.

[Juushika]

The 2008 version.

 

In the vial: An astringent woody scent, but not quite balsam—this is probably the cypress. It's pungent, a touch bitter, and clears the throat and eyes.

 

On me: The cypress is joined by a slightly less pungent balsam fir. Together they're light (in scent, not in strength) but astringent, almost like eucalyptus. The woodiness is gone—this is the scent of freshly crushed foliage. And that's it. No matter how long I wait, I don't get any of the other notes, there's no morphing, the blend never grows dark or bitter. The scent is colorless to my nose; the texture is gaseous, like evaporating chemicals. It's potent with a strong throw.

 

Verdict: I was hoping for the brightness of mandarin against a dark setting, but all I get from Winter of our Discontent is astringent pine—which isn't my favorite scent. I'm a bit crushed. I don't think I'll hold on to my decant. Unless a week or two of aging makes a significant change, this just isn't the scent I was hoping for or one that I can come to love.

[yewberry]

Oh, I do wish I had ordered at least a decant of this, but I'm writing this review based on one little smear from an otherwise empty bottle. Wonderfully bitter spices with warm, exotic/penetrating cypress. The mandarin is there at the beginning, then fades into soft myrrh.

 

A really delightful fragrance that's going on my wish list immediately.

Edited November 22, 2008 by yewberry

[Wwindy]

I knew there was something sexy about the way he wooed Lady Anne, but who knew Richard III smelled so good?!?

 

This reminds me a lot of Mort de Cesar (that wonderful dark clove/balsam/cypress combination) and a little of Valentine of Rome (the incense, cypress, and myrrh) -- but WooD (heh!) starts out with an added lighter, tangier note from the mandarin. I get a bit of the rosewood but not much if any of the nutmeg; I'm not sure what artemisia smells like, but there is something here a little more floral than MdC or VoR were for me.

 

The evergreen sharpness fades down fairly quickly. Once on for a few hours, what's left is mostly musk and myrrh, spiced with clove.

 

Not very Christmas-y on me, I don't think! Much more "dark Shakespearean villain"...

[Lamia]

Masculine, agreeable, uninspiring.

 

The basalm and cypress are fairly strong compared to the other ingredients. Trade bag.

[lainevierge]

Wow, something in this blend is super strong. I thought as first it was cedar, since it reminded me of a cross between a bonfire and a steam room, but cedar is not listed in this blend. Maybe it's the smoke & cypress?

 

This smells like a slushy day in the city, smoky and dark with a hint of sweetness and spice wafting out from doorways. The orange comes out on the warmer part of my skin, but it's just not pulling me in very much.

[sookster]

2008 version...

 

straight sniff from imp lots of nutmeg and smoke...

 

once applied super spicy musk takes over;

it fades slightly and i am left with myrrh and smokiness...very complex...just glorious

[Iceblink]

The cypress and balsalm absolutely own this one in the early stages, and they're quite intense. As time passes I'm getting more myrrh and clove, though--I'm liking the drydown a lot more than the wet phase. No mandarin here. This is almost just a teeeeeeny bit too masculine, mostly because of that initial stage...but it's nice and would probably be a great room scent.

[lefthandmade]

Mm this is good. I get the clove right away, and the mandarin. There is a little greenery in there but it's not overpowering. The rest of it I can't really pick out but it's good. I like it. It's not sweet and not really that spicy either, but I really like it. The longer it stays on my skin the better it gets. It's in THE CLOD AND THE PEBBLE and FREDERIC area but smoother and not so powerful. It might just be a bottle in here. I have to test it a little more.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Bitter and sharp, with smoky and myrrh undertones. Makes my nose twitch like the wind changing.

 

Wet: Smells like perfumed black leather, metal, and spices. Deeply masculine, edgy, threatening, but powerful, like a doctor's bag. Woody. Spicy. Wow, there's a lot to notice about this one.

 

Half an hour: Leather, spices, smoke, wood, man, power, danger. What a great, evocative blend! It's already calming down some, though. I have a feeling it's going to go off to lurk in a corner, plotting overthrows while it looks daggers out of the corners of its eyes at me and anyone who comes near me.

 

One hour: Yeah. Still scary dark, but all dressed up for being in public. This one is just so much fun!

 

Six hours: I had a busy day and lost track of this. It stayed fun for hours, though. Now it smells myrrh, wood, peppery against a background of smoke. My husband said this one was "strong," and he was puzzled by its makeup. This one's really terrific; not me, but really terrific.

[themerrybaker]

My favorite seasonal story involves the animals being able to speak on Christmas Eve. Winter of Our Discontent suggests that story. I get "Sweet and Smoky Stable at Bethlehem!!" (sounds like a cussword substitute?). Although I love this oil, the name makes me laugh because of the additional quote from Richard the Third: "My Kingdom for a Horse!!" Sweet leather, hay, and smoke. Not what I expected but very good.

[kjirstiben]

Another scent that I had to test twice before I knew what I thought! My notes from the first trial were:

 

"peppery-smelling upon application. smells... spicy... on. leather, incense, spices. *cola in the bottle (Schwarzer Mond)"

 

Not exactly enlightening, eh?

 

Anyway, the second time around, I got better notes for my review.

 

The Winter of Our Discontent goes on peppery, and stays spicy as it dries, but a leathery-musky scent emerges, too. The spiciness is probably a compound of the bitter clove and nutmeg described.

 

It's definitely a woodsy perfume; woods with spices.

 

Like a lot of wood-note perfumes, this one disappears on me after a fairly short time. I get a lovely mix of scents through the drydown, then an indefinable faint "dustiness" as the only remaining vestiges of the scent after a few hours. Hmmm.

 

I liked this scent, but its disappearing act is a little bit annoying. Perhaps this would work better in a locket? I'll have to try it.

[Coldfire]

Decant: mostly getting a floral scent but not a heavy one

Wet on Me: getting the rosewood now with the smoke and musk

Drying Down: still getting that woody vibe mixed with the smoke and musk.

Dry: just a deep but not overly heavy woody, smokey musky scent. Almost masculine.

[FallDaze]

In the imp, a very warm and bitter scent. Slightly smokey. I can definitely pick out the balsam, myrrh and smoke notes. Definitely not what I would usually consider a happy Yule scent, which I guess fits the bill!

 

Wet it turns musky and immediately spicier. If the musk would die down this would be awesome.

 

It softens out quite nicely, but unfortunately, like any other musk/incense scents, they just don't work quite right on me. *sigh* When will I learn?

[Persephone76]

Wow, I can't believe how good this is (I also can't believe I've never sampled it until now, but that is another matter entirely). This review is for the 2008 version.

 

In the bottle and when wet, this smells medicinal and sharp. I was put off by this and didn't test it out right away. My mistake. After five minutes on my skin, all sharpness is gone and this morphs into a sexy, smoky haze of clove and myrrh (but in a soft way). Something about this reminds me of Noir--and that is a good thing, indeed! In fact, they smell quite similar from afar (sans the jasmine of Noir, plus clove) and have a similar feel. I'm off to order a back up bottle or three! This one is fabulous.

 

5 out of 5.

[rayvn1]

This starts out as a delightfully villainous blend of smoke and musk on me and then my dratted skin starts amping the clove as usual <sigh>. I catch a hint of myrrh, smoke and musk so hopefully those will come back a little stronger once it's sat on me awhile. Not bad!

[Argentwolf]

Hm, odd. The first time I tried this, I got all clove and spices and balsam and a hint of orange punch. Not wicked at all, but certainly yummy. Over the day, it morphed into something woody, and by the end of the day was getting a bit soapy...but it behaved so nicely for the majority of its stay that I was willing to forgive that.

 

Now that I'm sniffing it again, I get primarily bitter mandarin orange, with some balsam or cypress...something sweet but woody. That's a bit more...wicked, I guess. Perhaps things had settled -- I didn't really bother with rolling the imp or anything, this time around.

 

In both cases, however, I very much like it. I'll need a bottle.

[nellieburger]

In the decant: WOAH, cloves!

 

Wet on skin: Still cloves GALORE!

 

Dry on skin: Cloves roasting in a campfire. May make a nice incense, but definitely not a perfume oil for me.

 

[msbcozad]

The Winter of Our Discontent

 

I was in an odd mood this morning and decided to try a previously-untested scent. I couldn't tell you what the oil smells like in the bottle, but it was much better than the scent I got after I applied it to my wrists. Oh no, thought I, I'm going to have to scrub this off. And then I got distracted with something else in my morning routine and forgot to wash my wrists.

 

A couple of hours later, I rested my chin on my hand while reading the Forum and smelled a warm incensey clove wafting up. The throw practically non-existant, but the incense and clove are perfect for a winter day when the sun is piercing and the temperature is below the freezing mark. I have about half a bottle and that should get me through my own winter of discontent.

Edited January 14, 2009 by MelanieSuzanne