The Emathides

[dronzeka]

THE EMATHIDES

The chosen Muse here ends her sacred lays;

The nymphs unanimous decree the bays,

And give the Heliconian Goddesses the praise.

Then, far from vain that we shou'd thus prevail,

But much provok'd to hear the vanquish'd rail,

Calliope resumes: Too long we've born

Your daring taunts, and your affronting scorn;

Your challenge justly merited a curse,

And this unmanner'd railing makes it worse.

Since you refuse us calmly to enjoy

Our patience, next our passions we'll employ;

The dictates of a mind enrag'd pursue,

And, what our just resentment bids us, do.

 

The railers laugh, our threats and wrath despise,

And clap their hands, and make a scolding noise:

But in the fact they're seiz'd; beneath their nails

Feathers they feel, and on their faces scales;

Their horny beaks at once each other scare,

Their arms are plum'd, and on their backs they bear

Py'd wings, and flutter in the fleeting air.

Chatt'ring, the scandal of the woods they fly,

And there continue still their clam'rous cry:

The same their eloquence, as maids, or birds,

Now only noise, and nothing then but words.

 

Gleaming eyes, screeching voices, glistening wings: black amber, black orchid, black currant, olive blossom, wood violet, lavender, blue musk, rose attar, and cedar.

 

Eek, I'm first, how exciting!

 

I'm also probably not going to be very helpful since I'm in the midst of packing hell, and am currently dripping sweat, but FWIW:

 

In the bottle: GORGEOUS. Soft, cool, slightly powdery, and I can smell the lavender.

 

Wet: More gorgeousness. I can definitely smell the black amber, like that in Faiza - oh how I love your sweet powdery goodness! And still the lavender. The orchid, rose, and wood violet are there, in the background, blending together into a dusky sweet purple scent.

 

Dry: so far (and I'm writing this as it dries, so things may change), this seems to remain pretty true to the wet stage. The lavender, as it tends to do, backs off quite a bit as it dries. I'm still getting a lovely blend of purple florals - they're not at all heavy and juicy and rich, though, they're sort of twilight purple. On the one hand, it seems to diedown quite a bit on my skin, but on the other, I get wafts of it as I move - it seems to smell stronger the further away I am from it! (So I guess what I'm saying is it has very decent throw.)

 

I was going to say that (hooray!) I don't get any cedar (NOTE OF DOOM), but as it dries longer and I huff harder, I get a little tiny hint of woodiness underpinning this, blending beautifully with the amber. I can handle this much cedar; I just hope it doesn't grow! But it does seem to get a little less floral-y and a little more wood-y as it continues to dry. I really love the florals of the earlier stage, and I'm a little sorry they've gone away.

 

Still, this is a really gorgeous blend, cool like a summer night is cool when you don't have to wear a sweater but can enjoy sitting out beneath the stars. (Umm, perhaps I've been influenced by the Stardust scents lately, because this feels a teeny teeny bit like Yvaine crossed with Fairy Market, without the incense of the latter, and I'm getting serene lovely twilight from this, no screeching anything! Though I suppose it could be that time of evening when the crows call to each other from the branches. In any case, it's lovely!)

 

ETA: If you don't like amber, this might not work for you; to me, it's not as obvious dry as it is wet, but I love amber, so I might not notice it as much as someone who hates it. The amber definitely ties everything together here, I think. If you hate lavender - well, this might not work for you either, though I find that the lavender backs way off. But again, I love lavender. I only get the rose as an element of the beautifully blended rose/orchid/wood violet notes, it's not at all overwhelming (but it is there). I don't get anything that I can identify as olive blossom (not that I'm sure what that smells like anyway) or black currant (which is a bit of a bummer) - this isn't at all fruity to me. The blue musk is probably there with the amber tying everything together - I think there's blue musk in Possets's Ultramarine Blue, and these two share a kind of cool musk base (which I always find funny because I think of musk as very warm). There is a tiny hint of similarity between this and Ultramarine Blue, given the blue musk and lavender, taking into account the difference between the two companies, of course.

 

If, like me, you hate cedar, you might want to give this one a chance! And if you like amber and/or purple florals and/or lavender, this is definitely something to try!

 

All in all, I'm so pleased I got the bottle.

[clover]

The Emathides is one of those scents that smells completely different in the bottle than it does on my skin. Sniffing from the bottle I get a light, herbal fruitiness. I can definitely smell the lavender, and maybe a bit of the black currant - something fruity, anyway.

 

Once it hits my skin, though - deep, dark, caramel-like amber. The deepest, richest, most syrupy amber you can imagine. Did I say deep? It's deep. And dark.

 

After a while I get traces of some of the from-the-bottle herbiness floating around as well. I get a little bit of musk, and a little bit of what I think might be the wood violet (although I'm not positive).

 

On me it turns really sweet after a while. It's all smooth edges - nothing floral or bitter or herbal at all. Yep - rich and sweet and smooth. Good stuff.

[alicia_stardust]

The Emathides. I had no idea what to expect from this scent because I couldn't wrap my brain around the interesting combination of notes in here.

 

In the bottle I smell lavender, mostly, with a touch of sweetness.

 

On my skin it immediately changes. I get a strong, dark, molasses-like amber. It definitely has that resinous quality to it. The scent is so vivid that it's almost tangible.

 

As the scent dries the amber softens up a bit and it is crowded by dusky purple scents: florals, the barest hint of currant, the barest hint of blue musk. For some reason my nose does not detect the rose attar at all, even though my skin usually amps rose anything.

 

The overall "color" of this scent is a deep navy blue mixed with purple. It is haunting and beautiful. So beautiful.

Edited August 6, 2007 by alicia_stardust

[Rheliwen]

I was so excited to see this waiting for me when I got home today!

 

I initially put on just a dab and could not get over how weak the smell was considering the notes. However, I did a proper slather later on and was so pleasantly surprised.

 

Sometimes black amber can go too harsh on my skin but somehow it doesn't this time while also maintaining its darker bite. I smell a little lavender in here but it's really purple and lush with the blue musk and orchid (which is not bubble gummy). I think the most interesting note I smell is the olive blossom. It's like bitter olive and sweet flowers all in one. I get very little rose. The cedar only lends a woody undertone and the black currant takes the roundedness of the blend over the top.

 

I have to say, this is so well blended. No note screams louder than the rest, which is a feat on my skin since this has so many of the those attention-seeking notes. I really can't stop sniffing myself.

 

It's creamy, woody, slightly sweet with a touch of silky blooms...but all in a subdued and subtle way.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Black currant!

 

On me:

Goes on fruity and sweet, a very purpley berry smell. Before long, the lavender kicks in and the combination of the herbal with the fruit immediately makes me think of two blends that have a similar effect: Cheshire Cat and 13 (Oct 06 version). It's really nice actually, I love both of the aforementioned blends, so it's only natural I think that I like this one too. The sweet berry is toned down by the herbal lavender but they both work hand in hand, rather than drowning one another out completely. Kind of a contrasty scent.

 

Final note:

I almost skipped this one - I went back and forth on it many times because of some of the notes but I am so glad I finally got it. It's a beautiful scent and if you like Cheshire Cat, you'll probably like this too!

[Heavenlyrabbit]

A soft, slightly sweet and very pretty chypre.

 

Very happy with this one.

 

The lavender and cedar are restrained.

[Lit Chick]

In the bottle and initially wet, this is a slightly sweet, damp herbal floral. I love this stage, but it does not last.

On, it has a breif flirtation with a slightly smokey scent (so I thought I mixed it up with Singing Moon because smoke is not a listed note), but that vanished, never to return. Then it becomes a very dark musky amber, and up close it smells like wet rocks. Not wood at all, but a handful of smooth, soaked pebbles. It's closer to a earthy scent than an aquatic, but that's just right up against my skin. The throw is all dark amber and musk, slightly powdery, gently sweet.

I can't decide if I like the rocky note or not. It's very interesting to me. I keep smelling my wrists, thinking "hhmmm... no" then I get a waft of the throw and have to go in close again. It's intriguing. I don't want to like it, but I do.

 

ETA - on the very last gasp of the dry down, it's like baby powder and play-dough. However - I think this is the blend's way of saying "apply more". This is about 7 hours after first light application, so they staying power is quite good with the unfortunate morph only showing up in the last 20 min or so.

Edited August 6, 2007 by Lit Chick

[naeelah]

I was afraid this might be masculine, but instead if turned out just like I hoped it would! It's rich, dark, gleaming purple black, without being stiflingly heavy and dark. I'd say it's gender neutral.

 

It starts out sharply herbal, which frightened me for a moment. Then I remember that it contains lavender, which always starts out sharp but dries to be soft. The amber and musk soon emerge. For a moment I thought it was black musk, but it lacked the masculine/cologne-like quality that black musk usually has on me. The amber is thick and sweet, but not foody or overbearing. The musk is similar to black musk but not so heavy. It's hard to single it out, but I think I like it. It's dark but has a light edge, if that makes sense. It's not as dry as I initially thought it was. It's actually very smooth and oily.

 

So, black amber + blue musk = black musk, in effect, only way better.

 

The black currant adds sweetness and a touch of fruitiness, but it doesn't take over the whole blend. It blends well with the amber. The florals and cedar blend in the background as a soft herbal quality. They're all very subdued and no single note stands out. As I expected, they primarily balance out the thick and sweet notes.

 

The overall effect is deep, smooth, and silky, neither syrupy nor sharp, neither fruity nor herbal. Just a nice, even blend.

 

Throw is good, noticeable but not too strong. The wear life is average to better than average, as far as being all there and being noticeable goes. After 4-5 hours it's a lightly herbal with musk. But holy moly, does it linger! The last time I put it on was around dinner time, I think, yesterday. Around 18 hours ago. And I am still catching whiffs of blue musk on myself.

 

ETA: 2/21/08 - Now that the scent is aged a little, it has changed slightly. Some of the dryness of the musk has gone away, and once dry, I feel like the amber is MUCH stronger. I think some of the non-amber components are rubbing off on my shirt cuffs, so I'll need to try again on a day I'm not wearing long sleeves, but as it is, I end up with a shirt that smells like lavender and wrists that smell like sweet, syrupy black amber.

 

Still one of my favorite scents, but I actually liked the muskier stage a little better.

 

Edited February 21, 2008 by naeelah

[sarada]

When I first smelled this I was surprised that lavender seemed to be jumping to the foreground, but I had forgotten it was one of the notes! I love few things more than a smoky lavender blend, and the presence of cedar and amber deep within the blend serve as a wonderful surface for lavender to play across, graced by accompanying sweet floral and herbal notes that hang in the air around me. Deep, fruity and slightly smoky, highlighted with flourishes of juicy damp flowers -- that's how Emathides plays out on me. It is a happier cousin to the Agony of Loss, in a way, with a strong presence of powdery black amber and a layer of fruity sweetness and sleepy humid blooms.

 

Old Scratch, the Agony of Loss, and Oblation have been some of my favorite lavender blends in the past and this one surely will be added to their ranks.

 

ETA: Forgot to add, that after about an hour, the drydown really smells like vanilla to me for some reason. I can't figure out where that's coming from but there it is. Definitely adds a strange touch of creamy sweetness at the end that I wasn't expecting, that adds yet another dimension of delight to this complex, ever-morphing blend.

Edited August 6, 2007 by sarada

[Eemia]

Phenomenal. Dark and smooth with an aged feeling. Like the scent has been bottled up and perfected itself over time.

 

Black amber and orchid are the dominant notes on my skin, and it smells very luscious and deep. A smokey floral with a light presence. Some ambers don't work on me, but this one isn't as obviously bold. I don't get anything fruity at all, even in the later stages. There is the barest suggestion of misty pale lavender in the background.

 

The amber stays in the foreground as it settles down and begins to dry. It doesn't turn powdery at all, just smokier with a stronger musk note. I wore this two days in a row, which I almost never do since I am never in the same perfume mood twice. I am coveting this, it's perfect.

[stellans]

When I read the notes for this, I was overjoyed because they sounded like a perfect blend for me. I mean, taken separately, each of these notes is something I love: black amber, black orchid, black currant, olive blossom, wood violet, lavender, blue musk, rose attar, and cedar.

 

BUT...unfortunately, together they just don't work on my skin. In the bottle, the scent is lovely, cool, and I can hardly wait to wear it. Mere seconds after application, a strong nutty smell appears, which eventually dries to a powdery play-dough. I had to wash it off, it was giving me a headache. This just breaks my heart, because I love the story behind the Emathides, and the notes read so wonderfully. *sigh*

Edited June 5, 2010 by stellans

[cranberry]

This is like sugared, caramel lavender on me. I think it’s a combination of the amber, orchid and currant. The amber reminds me a bit of how I remember the amber in Hymn to Prosperpine, but I can’t be sure. But both Hymn to Prosperpine and Emathides have a candy-ish sweetness to them.

 

When I first tried this, I was convinced that I needed another bottle but now I’m not so sure. It is SOOOO strong on me. So sweet. It’s rather overwhelming in fact. I quite like it but it’s very strong.

 

There’s an edge to this scent and it’s reminding me a bit of Geek when first applied. It’s hard for me to explain but it’s like they are hitting the same note but getting there in a different way (i.e. with different ingredients). There is a depth here and I think that’s where the similarity I smell with Geek is coming in. It's providing some sort of foundation to that sugary lavender. They both have cedar in common, so perhaps it's that. But, I want to be clear; this does not smell like Geek.

 

One note I was worried about with this oil was rose and I’m not getting any of that here. No, it remains a sugared, ambery lavender with traces of vanilla. As it wears the sweetness takes over the lavender and becomes the dominant scent. It seems very fluffy to me but I can't explain why.

 

Looking over this, I realize this is kind of a weird review, but I can't describe this any better.

 

I like this a lot but it sure is strong on me.

 

Similar oils would be Faith (for that sugared flower), Hymn to Prosperpine (candy amber), and Geek (same pitch).

[Sheila]

I haven't written a review for a very long time (at least a year), but this gorgeous blend has inspired me to stop being so lazy.

 

The Emathides is one of those blends where no note jumps out at me, and if you asked me what it smells like, I'd be hard-pressed to pick out any individual notes. However, the overall effect on my skin is fabulous. It's dry, sophisticated, and smoky. It's complex and deep. My best attempt at a description would be a dry floral (that's not too flowery) over warm amber with a slight touch of sweet fruit.

 

Thank you, Beth! This is fabulous.

[QueenFae]

Love at first sniff!! Lovely, warm, rich, foody. I am just crazy about black amber, and this blend is no exception. This smells primarily of black amber and black currant on me, with swirling undertones of lavendar and soft florals. This smells quite differently than I expected it to; it's quite a bit more foody on me, which is great!!

 

This is so unique, a bizarre, yet wonderful combination of notes. I would say this has medium throw, but doesn't last more than a few hours.

 

I love this, I will certainly be keeping my bottle to enjoy!!

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: Way more amber than I smelled in the prototype at ECWC, but it is a golden and warm amber, and doesn't smell like a lot of the other black ambers (which tend to go stale on me, much in the manner of black musk) I know.

 

Wet: Same as in the bottle--lots of golden amber with a floral backing (I assume this is mostly orchid with a bit of violet, as the floral notes are hard to distinguish)

 

Drydown and wear: This is so close to being a "man's scent," but the way the florals interact keeps it, IMO, distinctly feminine. This is really beautiful--I liked the sugared/candied prototype, but this one is a bit drier and more composed, and I love it as well. There is still the hint of sugared/candied in the oil, but that is balanced out by the amber. My only reservation about the scent is that it doesn't seem to last very long. Something more leafy/foody (blackcurrant) becomes prominent just as the scent begins to lose its strength. Still, this is one of my favorite ambers since the '05 version of Jacob's Ladder.

[bibliophile]

Well, I was certain I needed Singing Moon, but struggled with whether I needed its therianthropic companion, since rose and cedar can be very bad on me. I am so glad that I finally went with the The Emathides, because it is as good with my chemistry as Singing Moon is bad (i.e., very very). The amber is absolutely delicious - dark, rich, and sweet, but not cloying - almost caramel-like in its smoothness. The orchid and black currant (and the olive blossom, I think?) are mildly sweet and combine beautifully. I can get just the barest hint of rose if I huff, but otherwise I can't pick it out. I can feel the purple, dry tickle of lavender in this blend, but have a hard time distinguishing it from the overall mix as well. It's not a strongly soporific lavender blend on me, but I could definitely see this being a nice, soft, cozy scent for bedtime. The blue musk is keeping this anchored nice and close to my skin. This one is definitely a keeper, and I will enjoy wearing it!

 

edited almost three months later to add: I have gone through 2 bottles of The Emathides since writing this review. I love, love, love it and if it weren't LE, I would probably wear it every day. It is definitely in my top 2 or 3 blends overall, and is probably my favorite for day.

Edited November 4, 2007 by bibliophile

[tarotgirl99]

Syrupy baby powder on me--with a milky musk edge. I hate it a lot.

 

OTOH, it has major league throw and longlastingness...but while I have worn it for hours, it's time to wash it off and recover.

[phantasmmysteria]

I waited to read the WC reviews to place my Singing Moon order, and I am very, very glad I did (because I got two bottles of this!). When I opened the bottle, I was suprised at how faint the smell was, but it was very pleasant. I dabbed a bit on one hand -- at the wrist, I smell the sharpness of the lavender (which softens quickly), and there's something a little bit "off" smelling... I'm not quite sure if it's the olive blossom or the musk. The throw, however... oh my Gods, this is fantastic! I am surrounded by this sweet cloud of fluff. It's warm, soft, and sweet, with the flash of florals up close -- much like a magpie's nest, its shiny bits glinting in the sunlight.

 

Beth, I love it. I can see this going into very heavy rotation as the summer wanes.

[heysunshine]

In the bottle I smell a lavender and cedar mix, almost a cologne smell. I slather this on yet it is still so light. And I am instantly in love No lavender attack, just a completely gorgeous, well blended scent. I agree with Anna D that it has a quality to it that reminds me of Possets Ultramarine Blue, the blue musk and that vanilla-y smell-- loving the blue musk and I want to see (er, smell) more of it! No currants yet but the amber mingling with the florals creates the most beautiful warm scent. I'm surrounded by this warm, sweet fluffy cloud. I could go on and on about this reading from the thesaurus for "gorgeous." Freaking amazing and I'm thrilled that it lived up to my expectations. Definitely a slather scent for me. I may actually pick up another bottle at will call and I never buy multiples.

 

About a half hour/45 minutes I noticed the currants have come out to play. They are very light, just a spritzing of berry, and are mingling with some other notes I could not name -- possibly the olive blossom. It just gets better with wear.

 

Two hours later the currants have come forward a bit more. They're not nestling so close to my skin. There is a delicious warm berry throw from the mix of currants and amber.

 

A review in pictures:

Edited August 9, 2007 by heysunshine

[taramarie]

To me, The Emathides smells like darkness and cedar. If scents have colors, this one's definitely black. Unfortunately, it burned a bit, so it's not for me. I'll pass this on to someone who can appreciate it.

[AliBabble]

this starts out nice, but turns very perfume-y on me. almost too much throw, and of a very sweet, cologne-type smell. i smelled a bit of beautiful, soft lavender in the beginning - but something is amping on me - probably the black amber. the currant shows up, as a dark undercurrent, but eventually dies down, leaving a sort of strong, powdery amber. the cedar, while subtle, does help to balance this a bit, but i'm on the fence about it, thinking it probably doesn't smell that great on me. oh well.

Edited August 10, 2007 by AliBabble

[lapetiteflower]

this smells like dark purple. dark purple clouds. dark purple velvet. dark purple incense. actually it smells just like some incense i've had before...i think it was one of the gonesh scents?

 

this is a very very rich scent, but well blended so that i can't pick out any one individual note. as it dried down, i thought that it smelled like i had imagined gypsy queen to smell like (before i actually got a bottle of gq!)

[kenjari]

Amber is one of the best notes on me, and this scent is a particularly beautiful example. The amber is right out front, but not in an overwhelming way. I can detect the orchid, currant, and violet sidling up to the amber, giving it depth and richness. The Emathides is a very dark, warm, velvety scent. It's got weight and sweetness but it's not at all heavy or cloying. It kind of reminds me a little of Lyonesse - it's as if The Emathides is the night to Lyonesse's day.

[slave1]

THE EMATHIDES

 

In Bottle: Sweet and lavender

 

On Skin: Oh my god… a lavender scent I love!!! Usually lavender is one of my mortal enemies, but here the other notes sweeten it and it matches up nicely. I am in love with this scent and must get more. It is like nothing I can even describe. So unique and delicious. Sweet yet tart, smokey yet creamy. The orchid is elegant and commanding, the amber is dark and seductive, the blue musk softens the edges of the lavender and rose, the violet is candied and innocent and sweetens the entire scent. The cedar is light and a background note. And the black burrant does NOT turn to cat pee on me here so I am quite the happy girl. This scent is so elegant and strong. It screams royalty. Dark purple in tone. I want gallons. The sweetness reminds me of the sweet feel of Gucci Rush and Hypnotic Poison, two of my favorite scents ever, but the rose and lavender offer enough sharpness to cut through it and keep it from being TOO sweet. This is going to the top of my list. WOW. Medium throw and short to average wearlength.

[DifferentDances]

Bottle: Caramelized lavender. Oddly delicious.

Wet: Sharp astringent lavender with a very delicious caramel note.

Drydown: Still caramelized lavender. I want to eat myself. There's the slightest hint of some rose around the very edges of the scent.

Dry: Slightly fainted caramelized lavender, with a hint of something that makes my nose itch if I sniff too closely.

 

My rating: 4/5. I consider a scent a success when it does the rare act of being foody without causing me problems. I know this really isn't a 'foody' scent to most people, but having this on makes me want to attempt to make lavender candy, which is quite a feat since the closest I get to cooking is scrambling eggs.