Undertow

[Ankhet]

Undertow:

The Dark Side of Water: clean and purifying, yet menacing -- lotus and juniper with a hint of mint. A scent dragged up from the depths to the Stygian shore.

 

In the bottle: Smells kinda like candy. Herby, minty candy.

Wet: Black licorice with a hint of mint.

Drydown: Urgh, it smells like Playdough. Almost exactly like the homemade stuff we let the kids play with at church!

Conclusion: sell

[Aharona]

In the Imp: Fruit and sweet ocean sharpness. This has to be the juniper. There was also a candy sweetness that stuck out. I remeber thinking "This is how The Little Mermaid must smell during a tea party!"

 

Wet: Mint just burst out of this one on my skin. It was a soft sweet mint, like the scent of a chocolate mint confection almost. Smooth, sweet and clean.

 

On the Drydown: Still very minty with a hint of salt. I got an image of summer camp at the lake where you can smell the seaweed in the air.

 

30 minutes later: It's dry on my skin, but it's still a wet smell. Still sharp mint with is that coconut I smell? Or is it saltwater taffy?

 

Overall: I am intriged by this scent. I am not an aquatic kind of gal, but in my six months of BPAL addiction I have never had a scent that was so intense in both good and bad ways or that morphed so much. The mint burned my nose (from sniffing it so much) and the salt and sweetness brought me back in. I was brought back to summercamp and then to eating Fanny May's Mint Meltaways. This is an amazing scent

[Fefferbella]

Aquatic scent usually hate me, but Undertow is an exception! *finally*

 

The crisp juniper and ocean salty breeze are amazing!

 

Beautiful scent!

[jjean]

I'll admit that my nose isn't at all developed, but when on wet it smells a good deal like a mix of peppermint and pine trees to me (which is surprisingly good!) The bad news, however, is that it fades almost as soon as it dries on me, and to smell it at all I have to pretty much shove my nose in my wrist to even get a hint (and all I get then is pine).

 

It works much better on my friend, however. I'm very jealous as it's a delightful scent, it just doesn't work so well on me.

[Miss Lynx]

I was a little wary of this one because of the lotus note in it (I've tried other scents where my skin has amped up lotus to horrific extents), but decided I'd like to try it anyway, when the opportunity presented itself. In the imp, it didn't smell bad at all - very much not my usual kind of scent, but not as floral as I'd feared it might be. It definitely didn't smell like the dark depths of the ocean, though - more light and fresh than deep and murky.

 

So on it went, and while I braced myself for a lotus onslaught, it really didn't happen. The three notes (lotus, juniper and mint) seemed pretty well balanced overall, and I started thinking this might be something I would actually wear from time to time, when I wanted a fairly cool and fresh scent. But then the juniper seemed to disappear, leaving just a sweet, slightly flowery mint. And the floral went to, and it was just mint. And that went to. Inside of 15 minutes, the whole scent was gone.

 

*sigh* So this was another like Mantis, Silk Road and Thanatopsis for me, in the now-you-smell-it-now-you-don't category. If it had lasted, I might have enjoyed it, even though it's very different from the types of scents I usually liked, but I'm not about to reapply every 15 minutes.

 

Grade: C+

[KieLocke]

It started minty and then was a very strong black licorice (which fades quickly). As it dries the mint reappears and I smell berries but not syrupy sweet. After about an hour the mint fades and it's just the soft berry. Not bad but after it's gone I barely remember it. Once the licorice faded the scent was very subtle. Too subtle for me but still pretty.

[lady_pandora]

Wet: Mint. Mint, mint, and more mint. Minty McMintiness.

 

Drydown: As Undertow started to dry, an herby note, almost medicinal but not in a bad way, began to emerge. This is probably the juniper. I also got a tantalizing hint of something sweetish hinding underneath the mint and herbal, but only a hint.

 

Dry: The sweetish undertone comes out to play, and boy does it ever. I'm actually embarrassed that I didn't immediately recognize it as lotus. I love lotus. On me, it's this delicious almost-foody-but-not-quite sweetness. Eventually, Undertow becomes all lotus, with a sweet note close to my wrist, and the throw smelling (not unpleasantly) a bit like fabric softener. It remains like this for the rest of the day.

 

This is a very relaxing scent. This will be a good one for when I'm stressing or sick or having trouble sleeping. Pretty.

[britton522]

This was the first scent from my livejournal purchases that my roomie, boyfriend, and friend Katie all decided they did NOT wish to steal from me. Here is the sad tale of Undertow.

 

In Bottle: Minty, but lightly combined with floral. Very good, because I hate heavy florals. Was chilly but approachable.

 

Application: More lotus emgered.

 

Dry Down: Lotus ran for cover as the juniper took over. Didn't combine well with my skin.

 

Lasting Power: Turned into a frightening juniper toothpaste scent. Refused to wash off properly. Toothpaste lingered even after extensive soaping of the host wrist. This scent LOVES its owners, and doesn't like to LEAVE! Too aggressive for me.

[trowely]

After-dinner mints of doom?

 

It started out smelling a bit like medicinal Jolly Ranchers.

 

Next thing I knew, it had morphed into after-dinner mints. Sinister after-dinner mints.

 

Not at all unpleasant, but I'm not sure it's something I want to smell like.

[ancilla_morte]

in vial: smells scary. with mint. like a monster with nice fresh minty breath. lol.

on skin: as it dries I can smell the juniper. it is a very cool scent. cold. doesn't really smell like the ocean to me though. but it does make me think of it in an aquatic way.

 

I might sell/swap this or I might keep it for magickal work.

[vmisery]

In the bottle: Piney. Very piney with a little bit of mintiness. Very sharp, almost like Pine-sol and mouthwash.

 

On the skin, wet: more mint than pine but somewhat less sharp, I think. Sniffing this made my upper lip tingle.

 

Drying, 10 min: Strongly minty. Almost menthol.

 

Drying, 20 min: Minty, but kinda spicy too. Still smells really harshly medicinal to me. Something is starting to come through that I don't think I like, a kind of artificial weirdness.

 

1 hour: I don't think this one is agreeing with me too well. I wound up washing it off. And I wanted to like it, too. Damn. :/ Off to the swap pile.

[herongale]

preconceived notion: Of the four elements, water is not exactly the one I most resonate with. Mostly I'm an Air kind of girl, in keeping (perhaps) with my Libra-ness. But lately I've been doing a fair amount of swimming and there is just something perfect about floating in temperature controlled water. So I am prepared to examine my soggy side.

 

in the imp: peppermint! This is so much like those little round red-and-white striped peppermint candies that a certain sort of grandma keeps in a bowl in the living room year-round. Mint doesn’t really make me thing of wetness, but it does remind me of freshness… fresh breath in particular.

 

wet: this is a sweet, pungent mint for me. Candy cane.

 

drydown: the juniper peeks out after a while and I get the impression of a strong wind over high cliffs by a tempestuous sea. This scent does not smell like nature, but somehow it reminds me of being outside on a blustery day anyway. Wearing it I feel clean and harsh and imperious, a little like a Snow Queen.

 

verdict: not me, but this sure is a lovely scent.

 

post-conceived notion: As an aquatic scent, this is fairly appealing. But water is just not my bag… instead of getting a floating, peaceful feeling, this scent seems to delight in tossing me around.

[AngellicMystique]

Dark, cold freshwater. The smell is strong and floods my every sense. I get a lot of lotus and mint.

 

All of the Dark Elements are almost overpowering on me, but I like them. The smells are strong, not through overuse, but the sheer will and strength of the smells.

[magdalene]

in the bottle: peppermint on my tongue.

 

wet on skin: this is the scent of eating peppermints, if they didn't have the sticky and cloying sweetness of sugar to them. Fresh and clean, with a slight menace underneath it all.

 

dry: didn't last very long, as most minty scents do on me, but it was quite nice while it lasted.

[Lady_Snakette]

I am finding this going all eucalyptus on me, maybe with a hint of juniper. mind you, this only while wet. Once it is dry it smells much nicer.

 

Honestly don't know what to make of it. It all seems to depend on what angle i sniff my wrist at? I can smell a hint of lolly mints now. The hard-boiled kind.

 

I can live with it, but its far from a favourite. Might see if it suits one of my Australian Lush fiends.

[Bard]

This was very minty on me the moment I applied it. Beneath the mint, I caught the faintest hint of Juniper beneath, but nothing else. As it dried the mint never lost its dominance, and indeed it quickly strangled everything until only it remained. It too promptly vanished, only an hour or two after application.

 

I would love to say something more, but this one simply didn't work on me at all. I hope others have better luck, as it certainly smells worthy in the bottle.

 

 

Undertow Haiku,

Juniper, lotus,

Pulled under by a current

Of merciless mint.

[Celogrl]

Oh, I love this Undertow! I really have a hard time identifying lotus, but I can definitely notice the mint and juniper. The mint always stays at the forefront, but the juniper gives the fresh mint a deepness and grounds this and makes it just a little more serious. Undertow is definitely aquatic! The dark side of water? I'm not sure about that, because to my nose (at least today's nose...) this is fresh and uplifting. Lovely job, Beth.

[Voleuse]

On first application, this is both aquatic and abrasive. I take a sniff then flinch away. Yikes! As it dries, however, the scent mellows a little. The mint is still harsh, and the juniper is strong. I can see how this blend might turn out beautifully on some, but it's quite unfriendly on me.

[coulrophobe]

When I first tried Undertow last spring, it was horrible on me. Seriously, I smelled like I was slowly rotting on a hot day - it was a cloying, unhealthy scent. Lotus mixed with herbs was definitely the problem, as I had a similar reaction to Paris.

 

But I recently retried Paris, after working on my relationship with lotus (I find it to be an acquired taste), and lo and behold, Paris was much better than I remembered. So I figured I'd try Undertow again as well.

 

While it no longer makes me queasy, it's still not very good on me. The weird bubblegummy lotus is OK, but the juniper... not so much. Just not a combination of notes that interacts well with my chemistry.

[Thaleia]

This is probably the only one of the Dark Elements that didn't entirely scare me, but now that I see there's lotus in this one, I may be a bit wary after all. Lotus doesn't do well on me - it turns into this sickly sweet thing that gives me a headache. I am, however, a fan of aquatics, so maybe they'll cancel each other out.

 

In the vial, it's a very sweet mint, like those chewy sugared green mint leaves you can get at the candy store. It reminds me of the green one in the rainbow pack of sugared jelly candies I used to get when I was younger. When it's on, it's very minty in a lighter, non-Mad Hatter sort of way, but it soon gets darker and is intensified by the aquatics/juniper, so that it smells like a sweet cocktail with a mint twist. This is one lotus blend I don't mind, because the mint really keeps it in its place, and they complement each other nicely. I think I might be able to wear it without getting a headache, after all.

 

Because it sort of changed my view of lotus, 3.5. I'm still wary of lotus, though.

[jena]

In the imp:

I can't even sniff this one deeply... it's very strong and does not agree with me. It almost feels in my nose like being too close to a strong cleaning fluid. I'll give it a try anyway...

On the skin:

Mint and juniper, clearly, but not in a pleasant way. I'm still getting a very "chemical" smell and it's completely disagreeing with me. This one just isn't meant for my skin. I have to wash it off.

Oh well, I'll find it a new home.

[LiberAmoris]

I like the watery blends, so I was excited to try Undertow, even though I was a little nervous about the lotus which goes straight to pink bubblegum on my skin.

 

But Undertow is a true triangulation between the mint, juniper and lotus. When first applied, the mint is very strong. But after a few minutes everything was balanced again, and the lotus, instead of going gum, went floral-fruity.

 

I love mint so I think I still like Undertow wet, when the mint is more bracing. But the drydown is very nice. Like the tangy sweet smell of water when one accidentally gets a snootful, or the smell of the sea on the air.

 

I'll keep my imp for summertime, when I break out all of my minty blends.

[arabella]

First Impression: Heavy water, mint and something earthy but slightly sweet.

 

Dries down to: Stays much the same.

 

Additional Comments: This one is very interesting. The juniper lends the character to this and the lotus gives it the hint of sweetness. It's not one I'd normally wear but it's a definite keeper. I'll probably use it at night to fall asleep by because I find it oddly comforting.

 

Lasted: 1-2 hours.

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (would be much higher if it lasted longer)

[GemmaCat]

In the imp: fresh mint, like when I brush against my mum's mint plant and a waft of the scent hits my nose.

 

On my skin, initial: eucalyptus; really, really strong eucalyptus (is that even in this scent, though?!), and lovely fresh mint. This is clearing out my sinuses, and removing the cobwebs in my brain!

 

Drydown: pretty much the same, but the mint morphs into sweet spearmint, as opposed to pure peppermint.

 

I'm keeping this one for when I have a cold.

[modesty_blaise]

..lotus and juniper with a hint of mint? More like LOTUS and mint, with a hint of juniper..

 

I´ve grown to like the pine/juniper lately, so I figured this would be awesome. It smells nice in the imp; juniper and mint, mingled with the flow of water. Soft, yet luring and strong. As soon as it hits my skin, though, the juniper disappears. And when it dries down? The mint is gone as well. I´m left with a very faint, sweet lotus, and I begin to realise what the bubblegum is all about

 

It´s pretty, it really is. But it´s too meager; I´d like it to be more of a menacing, powerful scent. And I *never* thought I would say this, but there is in fact a scent out there that´s too soft for me.