The Clod and the Pebble

[heathercaley]

THE CLOD AND THE PEBBLE
William Blake
Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care;
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hells despair.

So sang a little Clod of Clay,
Trodden with the cattle's feet;
But a Pebble of the brook,
Warbled out these metres meet.

Love seeketh only Self to please,

To bind another to Its delight:
Joys in anothers loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heavens despite.

Rose otto, clove, patchouli, Indian sandalwood, nutmeg, and cedar.

In the bottle I get a mish mosh of many different notes, but the only note that is distinguishable is cedar.

Once applied, the cedar is prominent, but I know from other blends that it will eventually take a back seat... and it does!

Now it's Rose and sandalwood with a touch of cedar, and the spiciness of nutmeg. I wish that the clove would make its presence known, I mean... its clove!! Cloves usually overpower all!

This is a very gender neutral scent. It's nice and I'd give it a 3 out of 5

[blktauna]

Its a spicy sniff, very clear and not cloying.

 

Wet: pine resin going into sandalwood and cedar.

 

Drydown: now the clove and nutmeg burst forth. It reminds me of Farenheit only cleaner and woodier. Sadly no rose appears.

 

I do like it tough.

[hipslike___cinderella]

Oh boy. The Clod and the Pebble is the surprise hit of my Lupercalia order.

 

This is interesting from the moment I twist the cap. In the bottle, I can only interpret this as a complex and layered incense. For sure, patchouli/sandalwood/cedar. At this point I'd never know there was rose otto in it.

Applied: this is... nearly dusty? And I still want to call it resinous. I didn't expect this to be so "incensey", and I know the notes don't exactly spell out incense, either. Both clove and rose otto still incredibly faint. At this point (15 minutes) I start making associations to The Lurid Library and Pit And The Pendulum. 5 minutes later, I'm writing this off as being too similar to other things I've owned.

Then about 10 more minutes later, something amazing happens. I forget about it for awhile, and I catch a whiff or some beautiful and rich woods. I don't know what happened, nor what took so long, but this turned into the most CAPTIVATING spicy, dusty, resinous woods scent. Just... so good. Oh man.

 

Anyone who likes woods OR resins cannot pass up at least trying this one. This could be multiple bottles for me.

[dluszcz]

The Clod and the Pebble is a big morpher, for me. Wet, in the bottle, this was full and spicey with the clove and nutmeg and sandlewood and patchouli playing nicely, without anybody winning out over the other. Wet on my skin, this quickly erupted as a giant slap in the face of cloves and patchouli! It was ok for a while after it faded out a bit, the patchouli a little like The Coiled Serpent without being so dark and leathery. But after several hours it washed out to the strange, woodsey, mossy, headache-bringing scent that I find in the back notes of November or Queen Mab. Could it be the cedar, though it doesn't smell like any actual cedar that I've ever met?

 

After the sticky sweet of the clove passes, this one is all man!

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: this scent reminded me of a private study with sunlight streaming through the windows and a cup of hot sugared tea on the owners desk with exquisite writing implements at the ready.

 

Wet on skin: this is like an incredibly personal bespoke blend, suitable for men or women.

 

Dry: Distinctive, but not overpowering. This will be my second multiple bottle purchase from the Lupercalia update!

[mystery213]

This one did just what I dreaded..... The cedar amped itself like mad and overtook the entire blend for the first 20 minutes or so. After that I did get a whiff of a lovely, unisex blend of a dusty incensey/patchouli sort underneath it, but it never quite surfaced past the cedar. This would probably smell great on a guy though, or someone who does not amp cedar like I do...

[The_Merf]

This one was almost all rose on me. During the early stages, the rose mixed with the patchouli, so I thought there was hope that the blend would go more in the spicy direction, but it remained so sharp. No pretty sandalwood, no warm clove. The cedar and rose combined for a very sharp and soapy blend on my skin. Alas, as this was the Lupercalia scent I was most excited about.

[jaeyne]

On me, this smelled like frankencense with a clean breeze running through it. I had forgotten the notes in it and am I ever surprised...It's not bad, but it's not what I had been expecting.

[sookster]

 

straight sniff from bottle is in your face cedar...

 

once applied this is really very dark and woody...

reminds me a lot of Pulcinella & Teresina minus the labdanum in all honesty...

i wish i could get the nutmeg and clove notes but they are just too subtle...

 

unfortunately the rose otto and cedar are just not making this as

lovely as i had hoped

[tarotgirl99]

Rarely has a BPAL scent smelled EXACTLY like its name, but the earthy Clod and Pebble does. Those who like the woodsy scents should be all over this.

 

I have to wonder what made me order it...it's very unigender (if there is such a word). The cedar is the main note upon application but then it settles down and I get the occasional whiff of nutmeg. But mostly clod and pebble.

 

Medium throw and longevity.

[dixiehellcat]

In the bottle, SANDALWOOD. Very like Anne Bonny on first sniff, but then hints of something more. I too thought it smelled kind of gender neutral.

 

On, see above.

 

Drydown--the rose is coming out to play now! Blends very nicely with the sandalwood. And as I sniff my arm now (about 2 hours after application) I catch a teeny whiff of patchouli.

 

I was worried about overpowering cedar, but I don't smell it at all. No spices to speak of either. Mostly rose and sandalwood dancing. Me likee! BPAL rose rarely works on me so this makes me happy.

Edited February 24, 2008 by dixiehellcat

[maribouquet]

I had such high hopes that The Clod and The Pebble would be a spicy sister to Wanton, but the cedar and patchouli take over and wreak sweaty havoc on my skin. I will test this again but I fear my decant is destined for swaps.

[blacklacestatic]

In the bottle: Spicy woods with a faint breath of flowers

 

Wet on skin: Holy Cedar! I'm amping cedar like I've never amped anything in my life. Luckily, I like cedar. But so far, I don't smell much else.

 

Dry: The cedar is still really strong, but the other notes have come forward and are making this really nice earthy scent. I agree with tarotgirl, this does smell very much like it's name. Mostly woods and patchouli, the rose is hiding out in the background, and I don't really smell nutmeg or clove. Maybe a hint of clove.

 

Overall: I like it. It doesn't smell like anything I have in rotation at the moment. It's very earthy, kinda hippyish, it brings out my bohemain side. I also had incredible *ahem* relations with my boy while wearing it, so that's a plus. It's sexy in an unconventional way. This could smell great on a man too. 4 out of 5

[Apple]

This one was almost all rose on me. During the early stages, the rose mixed with the patchouli, so I thought there was hope that the blend would go more in the spicy direction, but it remained so sharp. No pretty sandalwood, no warm clove. The cedar and rose combined for a very sharp and soapy blend on my skin.

 

Me too. It smells so wonderfully woody in the imp that I allowed myself to hope that the rose would behave itself... alas, no. Within a few minutes of contact with my skin, the rose rushes forward and turns sharp and ammonia-y... and it stays that way for hours before becoming pleasantly soapy. Oh, sandalwood! Oh, cedar! Oh, clove! Why hast thou forsaken me?

[Iceblink]

Y'know, you see "...and cedar" in a scent description, you don't really think it's going to be OMG CEDAR, do you? This is total cedar whoa, with patchouli, rose, and sandalwood making the tiniest of cameo appearances.

BUT. It does smell pretty good. Very Pulcinella and Teresina-esque. I put these in the category of BPALS I Wish My Closets Smelled Like All The Time. I don't really want to smell like them myself but they are awesome for room-scenting purposes.

[xoe]

ON me, wet, The Clod and the Pebble is at frist cedar. But a deeper, sweeter cedar. I'd guess that's from the patchouli. As it dries, it becomes more complex and sweeter and the rose starts to shine through. I think I may be in love with this.

[LunaLovegood]

I so wanted to like this, alas, it was not meant to be.

On me it smells like spices and crayolas... not good indeed

[alicia_stardust]

This is an amazing woodsy, earthy scent that is so fitting for the poem it was created after. I smell mostly cedar, both when wet and dry. It's a dry, red cedar that mingles well with the lighter sandalwood. I get a lovely earthen patchouli, like dirt, and it is contrasted by the rose otto. I only get the barest hints of clove and nutmeg, but they are there and add to the overall picture here.

 

I find this to be highly evocative. If you are a fan of earth and/or woodsy blends you MUST try this. Strong throw.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: Cedar, some sandalwood, dirty dirty patchouli and nutmeg

On Me: When I first put it on, it's a spicey dusty wood blend that I think will dry warm and beautiful. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Ick. The patchouli gives it a bit of a sweaty smell. I can kind of smell everything else under it, but it just..isn't for me.

[agnusdei]

In the imp and wet: helllooo cedar. The Clod and the Pebble is powerfully woodsy with the smallest touch of patchouli and spices. After a few minutes the cedar thankfully tones down and the blend becomes less sharp and a little sweeter. I can smell the rose otto now, and the nutmeg distances itself from the woods just enough to compliment the gentleness of the rose with a little spice. the patchouli is there as well, deepening the other notes with a slightly gritty, earthen feel. The cedar is still present at this stage but it's more balanced instead of hogging the spotlight.

 

This blend is very dry, almost to the point of stinging my nose a bit when I smell it up close, even after its had time to settle on my skin. I was hoping for something spicier (alas, clove never shows up on me) and a little more inviting, but I fear the fact that cedar isn't one of my favorite notes makes this a no-go for me. It would be lovely on someone who lives for dry woods and earth, but unfortunately that person is not me.

Edited March 7, 2008 by agnusdei

[Wwindy]

This one was almost all rose on me. During the early stages, the rose mixed with the patchouli, so I thought there was hope that the blend would go more in the spicy direction, but it remained so sharp. No pretty sandalwood, no warm clove. The cedar and rose combined for a very sharp and soapy blend on my skin.

 

Me too. It smells so wonderfully woody in the imp that I allowed myself to hope that the rose would behave itself... alas, no.

 

Me three, alas! I love the way this smells in the imp, all earthy and spicy, but on me it goes to ROSE ROSE ROSE DID I MENTION ROSE. It's a pleasant, soft, powdery rose... but not what I was hoping for.

 

It's still stunning in the vial, though. I think this might be my first locket scent!

[alhbooks]

Dry, yes, like a hot sunny day in an evergreen forest. I love cedar, and the undertones of sandalwood with the tiniest hint of cinnamon are very soothing. Not much rose, and very little patchouli from my sample, but I've always had a soft spot for unisex scents, and this is a good one...happily, a full bottle is now on its way to me.

[alterosen]

I William Blake & I was really looking forward to this one because it has so many notes that I adore. Unfortunately, I got the super cedar effect with sour wood/pencil shavings overpowering everything else. I never sensed any rose or sandalwood & the spices only came out faintly after hours of wear. Someone else mentioned Pulcinella & Teresina & the cedar in it behaved the same way on my skin, amping like crazy. No fair! I love the smell of cedar - why doesn't like me? Perhaps it will be better on the husband.

Edited March 7, 2008 by alterosen

[slave1]

THE CLOD AND THE PEBBLE

 

In Bottle: Cedar and patchouli

 

On Skin: The patchouli is very strong here, and combined with the cedar and sandalwood, this is a very woody scent. The rose is very sour but seems balanced by the deepness of the woods. The nutmeg offers a perfect little spice, and the clove rides along nicely. Clove doesn’t usually work on me, but here it finally doesn’t turn metallic which is good. This scent would make a great incense, and has a smoky warm quality to it. It is quite strong though, a bit much for me personally, but I’d love to scent things with it… like a room spray or something. Very strong throw and long wearlength.

[angharad]

Ack, cedar! Thankfully after a few moments it settles down, leaving me with a very dry, still woodsy aroma. It reminds me mainly of...pencil shavings. Rose and pencil shavings. No other notes ever appear for me. I had high hopes for this one, so this was a major disappointment.