Valentine of Rome

[fountaingrl]

Many legends surround St. Valentine, and history has yet to show, conclusively, which ones are true and which are fiction. One tale claims that Valentine was a 3rd century Christian priest. When Emperor Claudius II declared that his soldiers were never to marry - the emperor believed that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and children - Valentine continued to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. When the emperor learned of Valentine's disobedience, he imprisoned the priest. The emperor chose to interrogate the priest himself, and despite his fury at his orders being flagrantly disobeyed, he was impressed with the priest's intelligence, wisdom, and passion. He attempted to convert the priest to the Roman faith, and was furious when he failed.

While incarcerated, Valentine fell in love with his jailor's blind daughter. Through God's grace and the power of Valentine's pure and true love for this woman, he was able to cure her blindness with a touch. Before he was beaten and beheaded, he sent her a letter expressing his feelings for her, signed 'From Your Valentine'.

Ecclesiastical incense, Roman flora, and the fruits of martyrdom: cypress, olive blossom, frankincense, myrrh, and blood accord.

Wow, looks like I'm the first one on this? I searched and couldn't find it so here goes!

Wet in the bottle, I got worried. It has a sharp, astringent, green quality that reminds me strongly of Ides of March 2007. I almost liked Ides but it went on and stayed sharp and was itchy in the sinuses. NO! Please behave, Roman flora!

Wet on skin -- what's this? Almost as soon as it hits my skin the smell warms. It must be the incense, I smell what is almost cinnamon but can't be cinnamon because BPAL's cinnamon note makes me welt and burn. HOORAY! This is getting really good, very round-smelling, savory is a good word for it. Like compelling in a way that sweet usually is, but yet not sweet. For a minute, there is what oddly smells like a flash of minty?? But only for a moment then it blends back in. Not unpleasant, just startling.

On drydown: Total love. I took a huge chance with this one unsniffed, without reviews, based on the notes because I am a resin nut and an incense fiend. I am so so glad! The cypress doesn't get woody, it only grounds it some, the herbal aspect goes from sharp smelling to sort of 'fresh', and I just want to curl up and huff my wrist. I smell amazingly good, as rich as when I am wearing Gypsy Queen even but with a cleaner feel, not so bump-and-grind, more soothing.

Oh lord. Now all I need is to hit the Lotto so I can get five more bottles of this stuff before Lupercalia comes down!

[Eutectic]

Wet--Cooking spices??? My nose may be blown but it smells like something I could put on a roast chicken...

 

First on--Oh, that was the Frankensence and myrrh I think. I can smell them prominently now. OOOooo...the olive blossem is sweetening this up a bit, giving it some depth beyond the Ecclesiastical inscense. It's a dark blend, mystical. Not super sweet but it invokes hidden power.

 

Dry--Oh this is subtle. Not much throw and dark in a church insence sort of way. The olive blossom keeps it from being too heavy and it has a subtlety that is a bit close to the skin. This one will have to be a solo test to get a final verdict on.

[sarada]

It doesn't take much to get my interest -- say incense and throw in a couple of resins and I'm there. The only question in this blend for me was whether there would be floral notes that would throw off the glorious green darkness.

 

In the bottle, it is very herbal, dark green, faintly smoky. I think of thick, darkest green cypress -- fresh and evergreen but also dark and smoky. The hot, burning resins in the background come out more on my skin and glitter as if sparking on coals. There is a distinctive herbal scent that does also make me think of kitchen herbs -- rosemary perhaps? Then it deepens again into those crystallized resins on a wood fire or burning in a censer.

 

Both natural and churchlike -- a darkened wood chapel in the forest, surrounded in silent evergreens and the smoking remnants of fires. This will definitely have a place of honor in my collection as I shuffle things around to figure out who gets bumped from the Top 50 to make more room again!

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle this was spicy and fruity to me. It reminded me of my Mom's fruitcake and let me tell you, my mom makes le ne plus ultra fruitcake!

However, once I applied this scent it morphed from foody to otherworldly.

 

Wet it is gorgeous spices and incense and it just got better as it dried.

I can't stop huffing my arm, but the scent is subtle enough that it is not overpowering and I willl wear it to work. This is a multiple bottle purchase for me for sure!

[Eros]

Gave it a quick try within minutes of its arrival, sniff from the bottle and small dab on the wrist. There was a hint of incense, wood, and clove :l I amp clove more often than not, aside from that...eh? Took another sniff, yep, clove. Hubby smelled cloves, too, so we must've both been a little off in the sniffer department yesterday.

 

Today, MUCH better =) It's all I hoped it would be, deep resiny incense with a hint of smoke. There's a very subtle wood background with just the right touch of spice and sweetness. The frankincense here is really lovely but doesn't scream out its presence. Very well blended and very beautiful!

[alicia_stardust]

Say the word resin or incense and I'm there. With that said, there are so many expressions within that category and Valentine of Rome is yet another work of art.

 

In the bottle I get a dark, almost fresh, almost sweet blend of resins with a touch of smoke.

 

As the oil dries I get more of a dark and glowing blend. There is a hint of sweetness which is how my nose interprets the frankincense and myrrh combination. I detect something in there that's sort of a dark forest green; plant-like and fresh, but not overly so. The cypress plays into it well. I think the olive blossom sort of smooths this out. I don't have the vocabulary to explain the way that olive blossom smells to me, but I do love it.

 

I find this to be gender neutral, and I mention that because I have heard a few concerns over whether or not this might smell masculine only. The blend is deep and aged, green, dark, fresh, glowing. It's not too dry of a blend, nor do I find it heavy or cloying. It is another favorite from this update, and it will definitely be a well-loved incense and resin blend in my collection.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Sharp cypress with streaks of incense smoke and deep resins.

 

Immediately on skin: Right away, I notice this is very sweet and resinous with a hint of incense. The resin/incense scent is very thick and there’s only a hint of cypress and a little olive blossom lurking.

 

After a little while: This isn’t as complex anymore; all I get now is a hint of incense and lots of either frankincense or myrrh (or maybe both). It’s very sweet, resinous, and a little smoky.

 

Overall Impressions: If you love incense or resin scents, give this one a try. Unfortunately turned into a strong resin scent on me, but I think my skin likes to amp myrrh. It isn’t a very complex scent upon drydown, but at first it’s very promising.

[Pottersville]

ZOMG! Incense-y goodness! I almost didn't sample this because my body amps florals and blood to the nth degree. I was afraid I end up with yet another sickeningly sweet scent. Nope! Valentine of Rome is woody, smoky, spicy, and gently sweet. Must have a bottle!

[LadyCrow]

In the decant: Herbs, herbs, herbs, Herby McHerbenstein. (Not in the Pisces 2007 sense of "herb.")

 

Wet: However, you could reasonably make a "Cypress Hill" joke as all of the plants just leap right up.

 

Drydown: Initially very strong, sharp, almost medicinal -- weirdly reminiscent of the medicinal-herby note in Laudanum. For the first hour or so of wear, I would definitely have categorized this as a Boy Scent (not that I don't wear those myself, but I kept wanting to try it on the boyf). Then it dries down to what, on me, is mainly a skin scent -- finally, the dry, smoky, resinous part comes out, but the throw is very low at that point.

 

Verdict: Fascinating blend, but I'm not sure it's for me. I love the later drydown, but the biggest surprise to me was my inability (maybe affected by the cypress, and my problem with evergreens in general) to pull out any "blood accord" as a separate note. Or, to put it in LOLrus terms: NOOO! THEY BE STEALIN MAH DRAGONZ BLUD!

[Hayet]

there's an initial note- sort of medicinal, labdanum perhap- that really puts me off this blend, but the drydown is hours of pure resiny gorgeousness. reminiscent of Minotaur to my nose, actually. definitely a complex and serious incense scent!

[lainevierge]

Hmm, I got spicy church incense straight from the decant, but on my skin all it I'm getting is CLOVE. Not a bad thing, mind you, but I'm not particularly interested in a bottle of it either.

[maribouquet]

Sweet and spicy, like clove at first - almost piney, and the dry down is the perfect incense blend.

 

Not to my taste, but I think incense lovers will be all over this one.

[steelxrose]

Valentine of Rome..at first goes on a bit bitter, almost woodsy. (Weird.) Eventually it calms down to a soft, sweet scent with a hint of spiciness or incense in the background. (It's incredibly faint on my skin...)

Edited March 13, 2008 by steelxrose

[slave1]

VALENTINE OF ROME

 

In Bottle: Strong incense

 

On Skin: At first I swear I smell clove. That super intense spice that is metallic. But I don’t see it listed… As it develops, it seems that is the incense, namely the frankincense. The myrrh and blood are dark gold and red, thick murky notes. This scent is so heavy and smoky… it feels like it just weighs me down completely. I feel tired and I feel like I’m carrying some very heavy emotions around. I love the story behind this blend, and feel it has the totally gloomy and morbid tone to it, just like this scent. It’s not a scent I’d wear as a perfume, but I’d love to smell some on my husband since it’s much more masculine. I’d also like to scent a fan with it to get catch whiffs of it here and there… Strong throw and fairly long wearlength.

[angelicdemise]

Mmmmm......church incense! This reminds me so much of the incense at the Eastern Orthodox church, just a bit sweeter. It's mysterious and comforting all at the same time. This is EXACTLY what I'd hoped Cathedral would be. Due to limited funds (I'm moving tomorrow) I can only get a few Lupercalia's, but this will definitely be one of them!!

[jade_starlight]

Hmm, this is interesting. It starts off wet and green and a bit too sharp, but quickly eases off. Then the incense starts to amp up a bit, melding with the frankincense and myrrh to make something nice and warm and just very slightly spicy. Too much will probably wind up giving me a headache, which is a shame, but in moderation this is really quite lovely.

[Little Bird]

My boy has stolen my decant of Valentine of Rome, with his love for incense and smoky fragrance types. First on, it sort of smells like sharp, cool evergreen and bitter clove, but it mellows down into a slightly smoky, sweet incense with rich resins and a hint of pleasant, dry woodiness.

 

This actually goes oddly perfumey/sharp on my skin, but the boy pulls it off very well and it seems to sweeten up and hold on to its spicy, resinous goodness. I might try to get a bottle for my love before it disappears from the site.

[perclexed]

Deeply resinous in the bottle, on the skin I adore this. It's just a lovely, beautiful incense with a hint of floral. On me it's a bit like Peacock Queen but with more woods. I am so glad I have this. Perfect for me for this time of year!

[The_Merf]

I almost, almost, almost bought a bottle of this straightaway, but Old Rome was sharp on me, and I feared that this one might be as well. I'm glad I waited for the decant because while it is a really awesome "natural churchy" blend (as someone said upthread) in the vial, on my skin it is hardcore cypress. Cypress is a difficult note for me--it often comes off as metallic on my skin, and I've never really liked that effect. I'm getting that with this blend--it really does remind me of a combination of Old Rome, Heavenly Love and Earthly Love (in terms of how the incense smells on my skin--it's that very strong and cleansing incense, which I like) and cypress. After I've had the scent on for a little while, the cypress is less prominent (though there is a metallic afterglow) and I can sense a bit of the olive.

 

I generally don't like to keep decants around--I either swap them or get a bottle--but I think I might keep what I have here for judicious use on candles or something.

[Court Analyst/Strategist]

When first applied: a strong streak of incense that possesses a green husky-sweet, smoky edge.

 

Very good throw at this point, the top notes are coming through rich and strong, but its hard to tell where one note begins and another ends, if that makes sense. I think the olive blossom is lending a very distinct accent to this scent, taming the frankincense into a more pleasing effect for me and mingling it with something that is almost lightly spicy. I usually avoid frankincense so this is saying something. I'm not sure what blood accord is but the roman flora mentioned in the description lend but a breath in here, drifting somewhere below more dominant notes.

 

Verdict: Definately on the too-masculine side for my preferences but nice. If I could pull off smoky, incense scents I would wear this one but sadly I'm more of the light fougere or 'woods and resins' type. I could see a smoker wearing VofR--in the best possible way, of course. You know, a young man who always has a faint lingering cloak of cigarettes on his clothes but still manages to smell really intoxicating...ahem. This scent would mingle well with that.

 

I'll probably test this one once more in the future and update this post with any change but otherwise VofR will most likely be swapped/sold off to a happier home where he'll receive more appreciation.

 

---

 

Court

Edited March 21, 2008 by Court Analyst/Strategist

[portalkat]

Oh, this is beautiful and more than I had expected. I was expecting to find a rose based incense blend, but this reminds me so much of Cairo, a kyphi incense scent, with the lemon grass replaced by a deep dark rose. The olive blossom fills in for the honey in Cairo. This is subtle up close, but I keep getting hints of the sweet kyphi wafting around. I was hoping to only get by with a bottle of this, but I think that I will need to have some backup bottles to hoard. This is my favorite of the Lupercalia offerings

[blu°]

I've worn Valentine of Rome twice and the experiences were a bit different, although I didn't pay as much attention to it the first time as I did the second time I wore it.

 

First time: Frankincense-based incense, possibly with some olibanum added as it really smells of church. I get a strong olive blossom short time after application. Olive blossom is a bit weird to my nose. I think it is in Succour and Brass Balls. It smells ever so slightly of a vegetable oil gone off, but not unpleasantly so. Light, incensey, bright scent with flowery olive-tinges. Thinking, I'll have to compare this and Parentalia really well to decide which one to get or if I need both.

 

Second time: MYRRH! Myrrh from beginning to end. Strong myrrh, almost like sweet myrrh. I'm reminded of Priala and maybe Khephra. I hardly smell anything else in VoR this time. Thinking: I like Priala better, so I don't need a bottle of this one.

 

So, this as well as Parentalia, which was very different on two times wearing it, too, will need a third test-wearing, I guess.

[nappunkitty]

I got Valentine on a bit of whim--I really didn't know what it would do, but the notes all sounded interesting. At first it was gorgeous--incense and resins and cypress, all beautiful and warm on me. Then the cypress went crazy and stomped all over everything but the myrrh. I like cypress, but I really wanted more out of this than cypress+myrrh. I guess now I know to tiptoe around that note in the future!

[MaeKitty]

In the Bottle: Whoa! There is a whole lot going on here, though I really like it. Spices, incense and olive blossom.

On Me: Oh, this is such a neat blend! This is hard to explain, but it smells tingly. Does that make sense? I definitely get some spices, reminiscent of cinnamon and maybe clove?. It reminds me of spring (slight chill, but with the warmth of the sun). I can definitely pick up the olive blossom in this, which is just lovely. I'm surprised, but I really like this. I think I'm going to wear it to Ostara dinner tonight.

[twilighteyes]

In the bottle I am getting a hint of carnation??? This smells like potion / christmas kisses / ruby slippers from Lush. *double checks bottle* Valentine of Rome, check. *checks ingredients* no carnation or cinnamon.

 

*blinks*

 

*smells some coffee beans*

 

*smells it on skin*

 

Woah. Still carnations. Spicy sweet yummy goodness. Not at ALL like I expected it to smell. Loving it, though. Might have to add it to the order list for a back up bottle...

 

I can feel my skin doing the icy hot thing a tiny bit. Hmm.

Edited March 23, 2008 by TwilightEyes