Ostara

[VenusFlyTrap]

OSTARA

 

The Vernal Equinox. Also called Alban Eilir and the Festival of Trees. At this time, we welcome the reawakening of the Earth after winter's long sleep. Sap flows, flowers bud, the world itself is exuberant, and the vitality of the universe's life-force is palpable.

 

This is a day of rebirth, but it is also a day of balance. Equal parts masculine and feminine, light and dark, mercy and severity, surrender and contemplation.

 

Our springtime celebratory perfume is crafted with orris root, bergamot, frankincense, daffodil, orange pulp, attar of rose, jonquil, strawberry leaf, benzoin, violet leaf, copal, honey cakes, sweet cream, and the blossoms of springtime.

 

To my nose, it's a gorgeous, deeper, sensual but also spiritual fragrance. The bergamot gives a citrus lift to powdery orris root in the top notes while the frankincense lends an uplifting higher vibration. This is a very lovely and well blended fragrance with floral (daffodil, attar of rose, jonquil), honey (honey cakes), hint of fruity (strawberry leaf), citrus (orange pulp), green (violet leaf) and spice/resin (benzoin, copal) notes.

 

It reminds one of when spring has burst in full celebratory bloom with all the scents mingling with an innocent intensity. Yes, spring is officially arrived but also trailing the scents of winter, summer and fall not far behind.

 

I would not say that this is a particularly light flowery scent but a rich, multi-layered lightly powdery/lightly resiny floral. Honey cakes and sweet cream lend a hint of lasting sweetness in the drydown.

 

A lovely scent and very appropriate for the vernal equinox!

[themerrybaker]

With all those components, I had no idea what Ostara would smell like. Lately, there have been scents that remind people of other scents, but Ostara is unique and different.

 

My overall impression is of a cool spring morning. On me, Ostara is floral as opposed to foody or fruity. Definitely a keeper.

 

edited to add:

 

after about four hours wear an office mate complimented me on how "spicy" it smells.

Edited March 14, 2007 by Shollin

[Jilara]

This reminds me of Mag Mell with a citrus tang. This is a Good Thing, since I love Mag Mell and the citrus notes in this are gorgeous!

 

Wet, it's very green and fruity. It makes me think of green apples with oranges and wet spring foliage, like spilling fruit on a wet bit of shrubbery.

 

Dry, the orange and bergamot are on top, with a very green and slightly sharp leafy note. I get floral in the background, but so well melded I can't tell exactly what floral. Sort of like a waft of new flowers on the soft spring breeze. There's nothing foody I can pick up at all, despite the honey cakes and cream component. It seems to last well, and keeps that sharp tanginess.

 

Two hours later: hey, the benzoin just showed up! And the citrus has backed off and let the floral breeze out to play. It's still there, but just decided to back off a bit, and let the flowers have the main show for a while. I love this morphing! It's like the moods of a spring day, with shifting wind and sunshine.

Edited March 14, 2007 by Jilara

[Deiicide]

This definately reminds me of spring. Spring, spring spring spring leaps to mind. Sweet delicious blooms with a faint undertone of citrus. The citrus tends to overplay everything upon my skin but that's alright because some flowers don't like me. Thankfully after awhile all of them temper out and it's just a glorious spring time fragrence. Beth, how did you do that?

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Ostarta is an Odilon Redon painting.

 

And I don't know why this scent makes me think of Redon's paintings. Perhaps because it's such a nice, colorful blend of scents in soft focus with a classical feel to it.

 

Which one of his painting does this remind of in particular? Probably Mystery (as seen below).

 

Edited March 15, 2007 by Heavenlyrabbit

[AliBabble]

whoa! i love this! out of the bottle, it's really zingy and fresh - bright and fruity, citrussy - reminds me of holiday moon, for some reason - it smells like vibrant yellow sunshine. on my skin, the fruitiness comes out even more, as do the other notes, slowly. first it gets a bit flowery, i get daffodil, i think, and undeneath i think i can smell something resiny, maybe the benzoin? now the scent feels more orange, a little deeper. this scent starts off light, but deepens - there are several layers to this. this scent falls on the bright/clean side of things...it is refreshing, perky, and very natural-smelling. thumbs up!

[edenssixthday]

Ostara - I'm surprised at how much of a "pink" scent I get from this, considering it doesn't consist of traditionally "pink" notes. It's an absolutely gorgeous, smooth, creamy, sweet floral that doesn't smell like a typical floral at all. It's not heady and doesn't make me feel like I just stuck my head in a bouquet of flowers. The cream and cakes notes seem to temper the florals and the scent smells like like a floral and more like the scent of sweet, spring blossoms wafting around you as it's carried on a breath of a fresh, clean air. It's very, very pretty, and absolutely perfect for this season. The throw is strong when first applied, but quickly fades, and while it's not exactly a "skin scent", it doesn't throw very far at all. It completely dissipates from my skin after a couple of hours. I'm going to hang on to this bottle of mine!

[dronzeka]

This is soooooooooo pretty! I really can't distinguish between the different notes, but the overall effect is something bright, fresh, and entirely spring-y. I can smell the cream and cakes, especially in the bottle, but they don't leap out and scream FOOD at all - it's a bit more like the milk in Alice, a food note without making the scent foody. As someone said above, I think they just ground the florals a little. It's just absolutely lovely. Yay springtime!

[morrigain]

For me, Ostara is a light, creamy floral with just a hint of spice from the frankincense. I'm not getting any fruit or citrus (which is a good thing on me). It's a very subtle scent, but it does last for quite a few hours. Very spring-like and soooo lovely!

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Smells like Kindly Moon in the bottle!

 

On me:

Once it's on my skin, my impression is pretty much the same. It's a lot like Kindly Moon at first. It's a strong perfumey and bright floral.

 

It starts to settle down though and the strawberry comes out a bit with a sweet creamy note as well. The florals are still dominant but it's more like Spring florals - bright, sunshiney and golden smelling. There is a slight citrus note that is sharp and bright from the bergamot. The florals are not soft I would say, I would call them more sharp but they smell very "yellow" to me. I'm glad that there is a hint of sweetness here, because I think without it, I wouldn't like this as much.

 

 

Final note:

All in all, it's difficult to describe but it still distinctly reminds me of Kindly Moon. It's very bright and appropriate for the season - bright Spring florals, a hint of sweetness, a tiny splash of strawberry.

 

Here is a banner I made for it if anyone wants to use it:

 

[forspecial_plate]

I really like Ostara. It has a complexity that reminds me of a couple of the resinous Salon blends....but really, it's like nothing I've smelled before. The flowers and resins are perfectly balanced, very harmonious on my skin. I am not a violet or strawberry fan, so I was interested in what those 'leaf' notes would be like. I think maybe they add some sharpness, maybe a touch of 'green' to the scent. So far, the three times that I've worn this, I haven't smelled the honey cakes or sweet cream at all, except in the bottle before I put it on.

 

This is a great spring scent. To me it's definitely not a garden in bloom, it's more like the feeling of plants and flowers just before they really grow and bloom....a feeling of potential growth and power, if that makes any sense at all. It's amazing that a scent could capture such an abstract concept, but that's really what it smells like to me.

 

edit: I just re-read my review and realized, I didn't really describe what Ostara actually smells like. It's not strongly resinous or floral, but a very even mix of both of those qualities....with a bit of tartness or sharpness, from the frankincense, or possibly the leaf notes. It's great that everyone seems to get something different out of it. It's a bit hard to describe!

Edited March 19, 2007 by Forspecial Plate

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: Does smell very bright, there is a fruity/cakey edge (shortcake?) that comes off more as berries than citrus. There are also some light florals in the background.

 

Wet: Very light cake/honey/foodiness (lighter than Eat Me, which this reminds me of at some level) at first, very quickly mixed with a citrus fruit scent. There's also something there that reminds me of amber, but I think it's the resins drying out the fruit a little bit.

 

Drydown and wear: As the oil dries down, it becomes this unusual combination of resin and citrus, with the rose attar at the very back of the scent. Sometimes I can smell the sweet cakes when I take a whiff, and other times there's no trace of that scent at all. The rosey note gets stronger and stronger (and dustier, due to the orris root, I'll bet). Some honey also emerges and I get that stale smell that I often get with honey (particularly when it's mixed in with foody notes). I'm going to have to swap this one, alas.

[Em-]

This is a bright, rich scent - with a definite fruity, sunny overtone, and a deeper, almost incensy base. The two mix wonderfully for a very contemplative take on the spiritual side of spring.

[fiddledragon]

In the bottle, Ostara is a fresh, faint floral. Wet on me, it's mainly faint, green, polleny flowers...at this point I was getting disappointed, but as it dries some of the honey cakes come out. They're very similar to that cake note in Haloa that I liked so much. The flowers turn a bit spicer and richer, though still very faint. This is like a springtime version of Haloa, or possibly a cross between Haloa and Et Lux Fuit. I still wasn't thrilled at the strength, as it's hard to distinguish notes at that level and I wasn't timid with my testing amount. But for hours afterwards this wonderful sweet honeyed floral scent clung to the backs of my hands. I'm guessing that, just like early spring, a little waiting will do this scent a world of good :-)

 

Conclusion: A beautiful portrayal of the season, sure to become one of my warm-weather favorites if it ages as well as I suspect it will.

[kraken]

In the Bottle: A green, spicy floral.

 

Initial Wet: Springtime in a bottle! It smells floral and green, like walking through a grassy field of wildflowers with a basket of fresh fruit.

 

Initial Dry: Hrm, it's going soapy, but still floral. I smell the potential for a spicy floral.

 

Drier Dry: Floral dish detergent

 

Drat. I was hoping to find a nice, soft, foody floral, but I don't think this one likes me. I didn't get much spice out of it and definitely no honey cakes or sweet cream.

 

ETA: So I went to go work out during my lunch break and I kept getting a whiff of something that reminded me of my aged Perfumed Garden. Then I realized that this beautiful, spicy honey cake floral was coming from where I'd applied a dab between my breasts. Ah, now I'm even sadder that I have to get hot and sweaty to wear this blend. Maybe it will have to become my workout scent.

Edited March 20, 2007 by kraken

[filigree_shadow]

First impression: Sweet and green. Not picking up on any honey cakes or sweet cream. Smells like spring flowers. But really incredibly sweet ones.

 

As it dries it becomes more incensey, but I'm not usually a fan of the incense + floral combination. Frankincense is almost always too sweet on me, but combined with the florals the whole thing smells sour for some reason. Maybe it's the leaf notes? When it's dry it's not floral enough to be a pretty floral scent, and when it's wet it's too green and sweet.

 

I'm just not sure about this. I think it's all right, but I don't think it will ever be a favorite. There are other springtime scents I like a lot better than this one.

[gingersnapp]

This is definitely spring in a bottle. I bought it for the honey cakes, because I have a rule where I'm allowed to buy any blend as long as it has honey in it. I would say at this point (two hours after application) that the strongest note is the frankincense, and then a jumble of soft florals are wafting around me.

 

This is soft and incensual, floral and feminine, light and breezy. Very pretty for the first day of spring.

[Keslynn]

In the bottle, Ostara is floral with a hint of the cakes faintly in the background.

 

On my skin, I get cakes, cream and I think citrus for the first couple of minutes. This stage reminds me a lot of Haloa though it's almost a little sour to my nose. Next comes the floral stage. A sniff right next to my wrist is a springy mixed floral. The springy mixed floral seems almost muted by something, but maybe it just needs to age and blend more. The throw at this point is very floral and almost rosy. I like the throw better than sniffing my wrist directly. After a couple hours, Ostara gets powdery and then fades away.

 

While I like the scent okay on my skin, when used in ritual, this oil is gorgeous. It's pretty much all lovely spring floral when used to anoint something.

 

Verdict: Ostara is nice on my skin, but it's not one of my favorites. It did knock my socks off in ritual (when used on something other than my skin). Maybe I need to be looking into a scent locket?

[nikkoblue]

I'm jealous. Cakes? Cream? Citrus? All I get is orris. Orris, orris, orris. Bah! Stupid skin.....

[slave1]

OSTARA

 

In Bottle: Sweet florals

 

On Skin: The first floral I smell is daffodil… this scent actually seems like a bright yellow daffodil all bottled up. After a few minutes other notes peek out, I can smell the violet leaf, a bit of the fruits and the earthyness of the orris root. The franincense is very light, just a smidge of it hiding in back. I don’t get the honey cakes and sweet cream, the two notes I was looking forward to the most. Nothing foody about this scent at all, it is pure floral spring… bright sunny yellow in tone. The resins do ground the scent and keep it from beeing a sharp or sour floral, very nice. The honey cakes start to come out... but not as honey or cake... but more as honeysuckle. All in all, it is a scent made for spring, no doubt about it. Sadly it fades uber quick and seems like I would need to slather it on and probably layer it as a lotion, spray and scent locket to keep the springtime feel around me for any length of time. Throw is also quite light.

[PurringPulsar]

Ostara

 

In the bottle: fresh, zingy, springy citrus flowers. This reminds me of another BPAL-maybe the Ides of March? Or one of the Asian moons, or Litha? Or maybe Et Lux Fuit? I smell some honey in here too.

Wet on skin: slightly sharp but very fresh and bright spring blossoms, and daffodil and grasses!

Dry on skin: mmm, this is such a pretty scent-it is very lively and celebratory, makes me think of flowers bursting forth from the soil or buds bursting into bloom like fireworks. It's sharp and tangy, maybe due to the orange and bergamot, but very complex. There's a green grassy note which isn't listed in the notes (maybe the leaf notes?), reminiscent of Beth's general 'herbs' note which usually smells sharp and green on me, here it reminds me slightly of fresh ginger, oddly. I also get daffodil and violet/orris, and of spicy, smoky frankincense and copal (those two resins make a nice pair, I think) adding depth, they even add a little something reminiscent of Litha and King Cobra to it. I don't smell the honey cakes here yet, or the cream for that matter. Just vivid spring foliage and floral notes with a resinous backing. It is a more feminine and complex version of Ides of March as well.

After a while: the sharpness does die down a little but it still smells clean and green. But the resins are surprisingly strong here, and they give the scent a wonderful candle-waxy incense scent, which I adored in King Cobra. This dark, incense and candles scent contrasts with the bright scents of greenery, light flowers and pollen that fringe this fragrance. I don't smell honey cakes but I do smell beeswax here which is just as lovely and adds to the 'candle' scent even more. I think the orris is adding even more of a 'King Cobra' feel to the scent…like ceremonial incense wafting out into a lovely spring day. Oddly, it also reminds me slightly of Silk Road at times as well.

Eventually it settles into that lovely beeswax and incense scent dominated by the frankincense, smoky and golden, but with a hint of spring grasses, crisp blooms and yellow flowers. There's something to this almost like dandelion as well. it now has much more warmth to it, it’s like a balmy spring day, sunshine and greenery and pretty flowers, but with that mystical addition of incense.

The incense notes are all that is left, along with the orris, after many hours. Being a lover of frankincense I adore this stage but it is so similar to King Cobra now, but without the dark feel of that scent…it also reminds me of Litha without the mead notes.

Verdict: like the other pagan sabbat scents, this is wonderfully complex, ceremonial and celebratory all at once, and perfectly matching the season. It really is the energy and joy of spring captured in scent-the sudden explosion of green and blossoms that appears, the warmth of the lengthening days, I smell daffodils and grass and hints of blossoms falling from trees, crushed leaves and pollen. There's a wonderful undertone of resins and incense that is almost the opposite of the bouncy springy scent of flowers and greens, but it also complements it in an unusual way. It's almost like ritual incense burning in honour of spring, and also adds a feel of balmy warmth and golden sunshine to the scent. I'm not sure if I need the other bottle I ordered as I do prefer Litha and I was hoping for more sweetness and more of the honey cakes note, it's a little sharp at first. But the drydown is so nice, and this is a beautiful and very evocative fragrance, a perfect scent of the rebirth and rejuvenation of spring.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes! I'm keeping one bottle for sure, but I'm not sure if I need two yet.

If you like this, try: Ides of March, Litha, Beltane, Et Lux Fuit, Orpheus, Silk Road, King Cobra

[Rheliwen]

Hmm, not quite as sweet as I was expecting. I mostly get citrus daffodil. It's really mellow and sligtly soapy. This one is really weird on me. I don't think the orris of frankincense are working for me here. They are doing funky things with the citrus and making it really bitter.

 

I'm going to have to work with this one a bit. It smells lovely. I just don't know if it was meant for my skin.

[QueenFae]

This is lovely and unique. I put some on my cleavage last night, and I was surprised by how much throw this has; it's very strong and somewhat long lasting on me. This is a very green, citrusey scent on me. I can definitely smell the orange note, and there is a beautiful, fresh, sharp herbal undertone. The florals are smeared over the top, and are a perfect combination of a fresh spring bouquet and the attar of rose. The florals give this a slightly perfumey quality, but in a very nice way.

 

This is very feminine, fresh, original and delicious. I love it, I am happy to have a bottle.

[maijasu]

Ohh, I love this!!!

 

I smell the flowers and the fruits and the sweet honeyed cakes, and they combine to make something deliciously happy, bright and springlike. This is just gorgeous, and I can see myself wearing it whenever I want to cheer up.

 

A huge winner!

[Rackham's Vanity]

I never thought I'd find a floral I liked, but this may be The One.

 

Ostara reminds of those rose and violet candies my grandmother always had around...tiny little creamy, sweet, pearl-sized old-fashioned candies that were made from roses and violets and tasted like them, too.

 

Ostara's a fun, bright, youthful scent...honey and flowers all playing nicely together. Fantastic throw, too.

 

Thank you, Beth, for creating a floral even a foodie can love!!