Tristran

[mspixieears]

Dust on your trousers, mud on your boots, and stars in your eyes: redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint.

A soft, gentlemanly cologne-type scent with the smallest hint of something sweet. I think it suits the innocence of Tristran remarkably well. I smell most clearly what I imagine to be redwood, and the white sandalwood which seems less intense than the sandalwood I'm used to. I think like others I'm getting that hint of the mint, as it dries down. Overall the fragrance also seems to be getting warmer. Nice to try but more suited as a room fragrance for me. An hour or so later I get the candlewax note. Quite nice but still too room fragrance-ish for me. Mind you a few hours later it smells floral-woodsy. I think I'll keep my imp of this.

[sedona]

In the imp this was a sweet, light floral. When applied it soon became evident that this was a masculine blend on me, and atually too much I can wear other 'masculine' blends But this one isn't macho, just boyish but determined, just as Tristran should be I have me a crush

 

This is most definitely cologne territory with the woods amping combined with a sweet edge of the tonka bean. Fairly strong too, a little goes a long way even on my skin which can eat oil and demand more.

[slave1]

TRISTRAN

 

In Bottle: Crisp woods

 

On Skin: This scent has a very light, crisp and slightly sour feel. I smell the woods right away, especially the rosewood and it’s strong throw of rose. The mint is sharp and along with the lemon peel, really cuts through this scent. The patchouli is a smoky resin base. The tonka offers a sweet side, but the other notes really do dominate over it. It is a very masculine scent for sure, with both a dark and light side. The woods give a fresh feel and make it light, while the patchouli grounds it and makes it slightly shadowy. Very well blended but a bit sharp for my taste. Medium throw and long wearlength.

[kuanyin]

Oh my. This has me all atwitter. I can't pick out the individual notes, and it smells very perfumey to me, but in the best way possible. I have been really loving lemon peel lately, but I don't pick it out here. I always love the woods this one has, but it doesn't smell woody to me. I get light and dark at the same time, like fireflies at dusk. It smells like a second bottle. It MIGHT smell good on Mr. G Spot, but he ain't getting it. It's MINE! Bwah ha ha!

[PurringPulsar]

Tristran

 

In the imp: rosewood and greenery. This reminds me of something, maybe a shop I've been to, but I can't say what or where.

Wet on skin: coriander leaves (mmm) and lots of woods. maybe a bit of lemon.

Dry on skin: whoa, this is really, really woody. Like walking through a forest woody. I smell redwood and rosewood and a lovely sandalwood note (smells just like the White Sandalwood SN). The coriander note, which smells of the green coriander leaves as opposed to the pungent, spicy seeds, adds a very green aspect to the scent, hinting at the forest where the trees came from. There's something almost sap-like to this, like breaking a twig off a tree and smelling the green sap inside, it has a slight spice to it. I also smell a hint of sweet tonka and patchouli.

After a while: the woodsy, greenish scent gets stronger, it's almost like pine resin or some other kind of sticky sap oozing from a tree. So green! In fact, it reminds me of galbanum. At the same time, this also gets drier and smells more like very exotic wooden furniture, sculpted from rare and fragrant woods, in a dusty store where incense has been burning. It almost makes me think of a furniture store in Camden Market-woods and incense. Maybe not the smell of the shop itself, but the feel of the scent, reminds me of that. The sandalwood really shows off now, boosted by the redwood, and the rosewood isn't as 'pickled' as it can sometimes smell-this is a good rosewood.

This is nice but it does seem to be turning a little bitter at drydown, and a little masculine. it's very different from most manly scents out there-it's now very green and woodsy, like fresh timber. It goes between exotic wooden furniture and forests every now and then.

Eventually I smell moss? Yes, moss, almost like Spanish moss, growing on wood. In fact, this now smells like Roux Ga Roux or another one of those cypress-moss scents.

Verdict: this is definitely a man's scent, but not in the traditional sense. I love the way this smells both very natural and also a little exotic. The woodsy notes, combined with the green notes, give the impression of walking through a forest of tall trees, but not in the usual 'pine/evergreen' sense, this is more like a deciduous forest, green leaves and sap, the smell of strong, powerful tree trunks and bark with moss. There's a feel of adventure to this scent, makes me think of hiking through the woods. at the same time though, I get a nice spicy scent to this, the sandalwood is gorgeous in here, and the coriander smells delicious. I even get a hint of incense at times. it's a very lovely and different take on the usual woodsy theme, and I think it would smell fantastic on a guy. It's a little too manly for me at drydown though, so I probably won't keep it, even though I love the incense-meets-outdoorsy scent I get for the first hour or wear.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? maybe the imp.

If you like this, try: Jupiter, Yggdrasil, Winter of our Discontent, Carceri D'Invenzione, Séance, Stranger in Camp

[cranberry]

In the imp, this smells like a candle to me. By that I mean it smelled rather waxy. On the skin, that waxy scent is still there. Is that the redwood? I thought I knew what redwood smelled like from Carceri d'Invenzione, but maybe not.

 

As it dries, ahhhh - there it is. Oh, this is smelling pretty damn good. It’s dry, very dry. Soft and woody. It’s not the aggressive woodiness that I get from cedar, red sandalwood or any of the evergreens. This is rather subdued, tempered, refined. I’m still getting the waxy association and something herbal too. The lemon peel provides a touch of brightness but it’s not strong enough to make itself strongly known, which to me is a good thing.

 

As it wears, I can smell the rosewood. And there is something “rosy” about it. That’s dominating the scent for me now. I could see some very smooth patchouli here too. It’s mixing well with the wax but starting to take over.

 

I think my favorite part was as it was drying. It was a fabulous wax scent that I really enjoyed. It brought to mind Medicine Show, and makes me think of elemi for some reason. After it’s been on for a good while now, the rosewood is still the dominant note. I do like this but probably not enough for a bottle. I’ll enjoy my imp though.

[monozuki]

I sniffed this at will-call yesterday and immediately bought a bottle...! Here's what I wrote about it for my own reference:

 

Yesterday: sharp and bright on application, dries down to a soft, dusty, sweet scent, lasts for ages, love at first smell, how unusual! I wouldn't have thought I would like this one so much.

 

And today: No real throw to speak of, but I get pleasant whiffs of it from time to time. Opinion hasn't changed from last night... it's still delicious: sweet & warm, dry woody notes, really really pleasant and, imo, pretty special. Now that I have time to smell it on its own, I can smell slight similarities to Dee, but the tonka bean in Dee really dials up on my skin in a way that terrifies me, whereas it's nice in Tristran.

 

May be worth pouring into a roller with some jojoba carrier oil to see if that improves the strength of the scent. Overall, I'm not bothered by the lack of throw -- in fact, I feel self-conscious when a scent broadcasts too widely -- and it also lasts close to the skin pretty much forever. <3

[zankoku_zen]

Both the husband and I are having trouble defining this scent - there is something sweet, and something floral, and on me definitely man's cologne.

 

On him, its sweet, something old lady, something old man, something foody, something slightly earthy.

 

Verdict: Yes, this is the scent of someone with stars in their eyes. It's got this dreamy and slightly enchanting quality and in my mind boyish on the verge of masculine. Unfortunately, my boy isn't quite the dreaming youth type so it's a no go for him.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: soft, woods with a bit of sweetness. i'm also getting some nice patchouli and warm coriander.

on: tons of woods. there's a bit of peppermint and tonka in the background, which is nice.

1 hour later: all woods.

4 hours later: yeah, woods.

6.5 hours later: still wood.

overall: i wish i liked wood notes more, since my skin likes to amp them up.

[TereFaerie]

This one is pure heaven on my Tristran! (and in my oil burner)

 

On me it turns to a sickeningly sweet sandalwood and piney scented doom!

 

But amazing what a difference of body chemistry can do. DH needs a truckload of the stuff, meeeowww!

 

Tristran smells so well blended on him, but I can pick out the initial smell of sandalwood and tonka, soft and sweet, tempered by a drier rosewood and slightly bitter woody patchouli. It does smell very woody to me, which I suppose is the redwood. The lemon peel, coriander and mint aren't really notes I can pick out, but the blend does have an herby sort of feel to it. Very nice man's scent, especially if he doesn't like traditional cologne scents.

[forspecial_plate]

Mostly woods and a touch of powder that comes across as slightly papery on my skin....but not as much as, say, Mr. Ibis. Still, I'm not crazy about paper/powdery, so at first I didn't like this all that much. Later on as it dries the sandalwood comes out stronger, which almost wins me over. It's a lovely sandalwood that keeps nuzzling my nose, still slightly powdery, but not bad. Still.....for this kind of thing, I think I prefer Chintimani-Dhupa with its exotic twist. I wanted more of the herbs.....mint and lemon peel would be great, but they run and hide on my skin. It's okay, plenty of other herbal/woodsy scents in the catalogue for me to love!

[Koumori]

I want a boyfriend so I can make him wear this.

 

Although I'm very "girly" in appearance, I tend to love masculine-leaning scents. And I love this one! I can't stop sniffing my bottle, and I love the complex, woody, mossy scent of it on me- but I almost feel like I need a new wardrobe to be able to wear it. It's rare that I don't wear a scent because it's *too* masculine, but this one wavers right on the edge. It makes me want to break out ties and vests and pressed trousers.. all of which would be terrific if I actually owned any of those things. It's delightful, but I need to grow into it or change to make it fit me properly, so I don't know if I will actually wear it often.

 

But if I do get a boyfriend... look out!

[twilighteyes]

In the bottle: Sweet woody top note, patchouli bottom note.

 

Dry on skin: On me it doesn't change much. I mostly get sweet woods and a bit of tonka. Maybe a slight whiff of patchouli.

 

Good throw, long lasting.

[CrazyPretzel]

What I love most about this scent is the way it fits in so perfectly with the other scents in the Stardust series - dreamy and innocent and full of wonder. This is a soft woodsy-patchouli scent with a bit of sparkle from the tonka. The closest GC equivalent I can think of is Lysander, though this seems less 'busy' than Lysander. As it dries it takes on a slightly musky scent - makes me think of clean sexy boy-sweat (if such a thing even exists! )

[Lavada]

Tristran, I think, is the first ever 'meh' I've felt about a BPAL. Not love. Not hate. Not WTF. Not even a wishy-washy 'maybe'.

 

It's all very sandalwood/coriander/mint/lemon with a slightly earthier background during its wet phases, and that was alright. Nothing mind-blowing, but nothing was wrong with it and I made my pleasantly scented way through the day. Then, just as I walked out the door... it all melds into... body wash? Not soap, just some sort of bright green hypothetical body wash called 'Showers in the Rainforest', easily found in the supermarket.

 

Only now, in its very last stages (average weartime, light but persistent throw) does it smell somewhat soapy. Not like soap exactly... but a person who's just washed themselves with the soap version of 'Showers in the Rainforest'. I think that's the woods. The lighter woods seem to turn this way on me, and they amp up something fierce.

 

Tristran, dear boy, I'm totally not feeling you. It's all well and good that you like to keep yourself free from BO, but you don't strike in me the slightest impression of someone on an adventure. Not even a reluctant one. Roll around in some mud. It'll do you good.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle my, what a girly man you are, tristran....

wet on skin wood, wood, and wood! and some wood! suddenly very masculine and there's a soft, dry evergreen note, which must be the redwood.

dry on skin dry, this goes a bit girly again. the primary notes i'm getting are rosewood, sandalwood, and lemon. it's fresh and quite pretty. possibly a bit too pretty.... i'm fine with just a decant of this.

[iiinterstate]

Bah. I love the sound of this, but my skin apparently doesn't care for rosewood any more than it cares for rose. (it was worth a try)

 

 

I smell like potpourri and I am jealous of those of you who get a complex blend out of this one. Sigh.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, this is very woody - redwood especially - with just a hint of mint.

 

On my skin, it's still very woodsy - my dreaded enemy the patchouli pops up - but it's pretty well balanced by the woods.

 

When it dries, woodsiness is still there, and the mint and lemon are contributing a lightness, even though you can't really pick out those notes. This is not quite for me.

[Jenesis]

Although nice, this scent is "meh" for me. I love woody scents and I was hoping this could be a new Geek, but it doesn't have the complexity.

 

Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely scent, but on me it's just straight "wood", with no mint, lemon or anything else to spice it up. It fades quickly.

 

If this was a regular price GC I'd go for it, but at $25 a bottle it's a little pricey when there are nicer woody blends for the same price tag (The Smiling Spider).

[Lyrical]

In vial: woody, warm, a little sharp, masculine.

 

Wet on skin: woody, sharp, muddy, spicy.

 

Dry on skin: far too sharp and masculine for me, but not altogether unpleasant. Woods, coriander and patchouli are the dominant notes on me. The tonka and mint are very faint, and I can't make out any lemon peel. The throw is strangely soapy and spoils the overall experience!

[moon_lemming]

It is time for math class.

 

REDWOOD + (BPAL)(SANDALWOOD) + TONKA + [AURA OF DIRT] = COCOA OF DEATH.

 

TO BE FAIR: after it dries, Tristran is okay. Actually, more than okay: it's really good. Like an herbal men's cologne, but brighter and less astringent than that implies.

 

I cannot overlook the first few minutes of death, though. I have too much perfume to be that forgiving.

[meeow712]

Tristan is a very sexy masculine scent. The redwood and sandalwood are sweetened up a bit by the tonka, with the lemon peel lightening up the scent so it isn't too woodsy. The coriander is in the background, rounding out the scent with a bit of herbal goodness that blends in perfectly with the woods and lemon peel.

 

I love this on me, but I need to sneak it onto the boy somehow because I think it would smell dead sexy on a guy.

[greenranger]

Coriander. Heee!

 

In the bottle and wet, it smelled grassy with maybe wood somewhere in it.

 

On, the herbs give it a bit of lift that the woods alone wouldn't. It's a cheerful herby scent with some wood behind it. No bitterness. The tonka is taking its own sweet time coming forward, and maybe it won't this time? It becomes less breezy, but, isn't changing much, otherwise.

 

Very nice. =)

[sideviewhotel]

I got this in a decanted imp in the hopes that it would be delish tonka bean, patchouli, and mint, but all I seem to get is the lemon peel and... coriander, I think. It's rather floral and that makes me sad. If it dries down into something a little darker, I'll be happy, but who knows. ((((

 

ETA: As it dries, the woods come out a bit, but then it gets all cologne-y on me and it's just.. well, it's kind of gross. Woe.

Edited August 27, 2008 by sideviewhotel

[llhorian]

Tristran is a very mysterious and wonderful scent (it causes wonder, certainly). It's just unlike anything else I or the people I've asked ("sniff my neck" ) have smelled. There was something oddly familiar about it. Now I think it's the patchouli which reminded me of certain incenses.

 

Yes, it's warm, intriguing and a bit incensey with a hint of fragrant wood (whether it's the sandal- or rosewood or both). Every now and again a waft of this mysterious scent will hit my nose and make me wonder about this unique creation.

My colleagues and others seem to adore this as well, it makes me happy and I can see how it fits Tristran, the adventurer across the Wall in an adventure and setting as intriguing and warming as this scent. It seems to fit the season as well, a good scent for autumn and winter, me thinks.