Justice

[jj_j]

From the Tarot collection; no description provided on BPAL's website.

 

Goes on sticky-sweet with a fizzy sort of undertone, and quickly backs down into a barely herbal, warm and woody blend that retains some sense of the effervescence without it actually being a defineable note.

 

A hint of moss, plenty of rosewood, and maybe a touch of amber? Solid like a huge old oak with new leaves coming out in spring, and very balanced.

[ipb]

On Card 11 we see the familiar figure of Justice. She has the scales of equality and impartial judgment in one hand, and the sword of decision in the other. In the tarot, Justice represents the understanding that life is ultimately fair and just. Even though the vagaries of day-to-day life tend to make us doubt this fact, Justice reminds us that there is divine balance. Notice the similarity between the Emperor and Justice. Both cards stand for universal order; the Emperor in its underlying structure, Justice, in the action of karma - cause and effect.

 

There is a serious feel to Card 11 - the tone of the courtroom. This card refers to legal matters of all kinds, but is not restricted to them. The courts are where judgments are made and decisions rendered. Our legal system is the official arena in which we explore the principles of Justice - fairness, impartiality and the quest for truth.

 

In readings, Justice often appears when you are concerned with doing what is right or making sure you receive your due. This card can also appear when you are feeling the impact of a past mistake or good deed. The cause you set in motion at one time is now returning to you as an effect.

 

Sometimes Justice is a signal to do what needs to be done. A time comes when responsibilities must be accepted, and accounts settled. The past will continue to haunt you if you do not recognize your mistakes and make amends for them. You will need to weigh matters carefully and perhaps make important decisions about your future course.

 

initial impressions:

this is one of the few perfumes that i smell and it makes me smile and i can't tell you why i'm smiling

 

i agree with what jj said about warm and woody and a little herbal, at least in the bottle.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Light fruit and resin. Confident, capable and bright.

 

After Wearing It:

For the first few minutes on (and when I sniffed it in the bottle), I smelled berries for some reason. That backed off as soon as it dried, but it left a lingering sweetness to what it is a pretty smoky, woody blend. I think I might smell some red sandalwood, amber, and maybe just a touch of a sweet flower note? Anyway it's a nice fragrance. Confident yet soft and lulling. Like something that inspires faith.

 

Final Thoughts:

Really nice longevity on this one. I put this on 8 hours ago and it's still definitely present. I like it a lot and it definitely suits my usual taste, but I haven't decided if it's unique enough to make it into my regular rotation. Definitely a keeper tho!

[twistygirl]

As I work my way through the Tarot oils, I am learning about the deck at the same time, and, much like the Celestials (the planets I know about already), I can describe these scents better by the way they feel rather than how they smell. This does have a bit of floral, a bit of wood, a bit of resin, but the best way I can describe it is - balanced. This feels very balanced. It feels very rational, somewhat intellectual. I can see wanting to wear this fragrance when one needs to rely on their sense of rationality and fairness to make a decision, I think it would help encourage those energies. I feel incredibly balanced wearing it.

[Nadirah]

A beautiful oil to capture the essence of Justice!

Smells like Violet? Maybe tonka bean? Amber? Whatever it is, I find myself drawn to this one alot. Its light but not too light. It does have that touch of floral. Its hard to say what is in this. Its got a dry edge to it, one of my favorite tarot oils! Yay Beth!

[sagitare]

I think twistygirl got closest to my experience of this blend when she said "a bit of floral, a bit of wood, a bit of resin" and I'll toss in shriekingviolet's "light fruit/berries" for good measure.

 

In the vial this had two distinct smells: on the wand was a very pronounced fruit smell, and in the vial itself was a soft musk/woodsy scent. At first application it's that berry/hint-of-floral sweetness that comes out on me, mixed with a very soft musk/wood scent. After a few hours the resin/wood scent peeks out more but it never interrupts the overall scent itself.

 

Again, twistygirl hit it on the head when she summed this up as "balanced". It is that, for sure - Justice is an absolutely beautiful blend, all very soft and powdery in texture (in fact, I envision this as something that would be gently shaken over me, like flour from a sifter). It's a great daily wear/year round blend, for its berry/floral scent would be welcome in the winter (with the musk/resin to keep it warm and cheery) and its sweetness and lightness would be perfect for summer.

 

It also has very good staying power - I applied at 7am this morning and at 7.30pm it's still around. It's one of those scents that, at the end of the day, may not be readily apparent when I sniff my wrist but I am always catching whiffs of it as I move around, which I love.

 

I love, love this one and am definitely getting a bottle.

Edited April 29, 2004 by sagitare

[AmberBreathing]

From the bottle there is a lovely woodsy sent that made me think of pine (might not be pine at all but I associate it with trees) which is very nicely balanced with the rest of the fragrance, warm and intriguing; loved it from the first sniff.

 

on my skin it is sweet and musky, pleasant but not remarkable and too "heavy" for my taste.

 

Now that I have spent some time with this sent my attraction to it is gone, it is far too heavy and "perfume-y" for me.

[paperdoll]

Initial sniff: I have no idea what this smells like. It's a little woody, a little herbal, a little fruity. It definitely sparkles.

 

Wearing: This shifts from dominant wood/herb notes into a slightly sweet unidentifiable smell with slightly herbal undertones. I think this must have amber in it as well - it behaves like an amber perfume on my skin.

 

Final Impressions: This is a lovely, balanced scent. If I were more into tarot, I would be very excited to use this scent to further my understanding of the card. This one is on my big bottle list!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: i wanted this oil because it's my year card. it has a light, refreshing scent. not quite as obviously herbal as some of the other tarot oils.

on: this is very light and subdued. i detect a bit of fruit, something along the lines of a very tart, crisp apple. it's very nice.

.75 hours later: this is going sweet on me, which isn't much of a surprise. it's a very full scent, with a floral bite to it.

1.5 hours later: this has changed once again on me. it's a strong floral, with a strong herbal edge and a bit of sweetness lingering in background.

2 hours later: this has morphed into a very heady herbal-floral blend. there's still a tinge of sweetness, but it has faded quite a bit. wonderful.

3 hours later: this is still a bit heady, but also has gotten some of its bite back. the sweetness in the background has turned into a dusty kind of powderiness.

overall: this is lovely. not incredibly unique, but i have to respect any floral that doesn't turn sweet on my skin. also, i really want to learn more about tarot, but i haven't really had the chance to become familiar with the cards yet. i'll be keeping my imp to help me with my studies.

[Belladonnastrap]

First sniff

Bright, and it smells really expensive.

 

When wet

OMG. I've smelled this before but I can't remember where. It's very strong and fruity yet its also woodsy. Mm.

 

Drydown

More sweet now but very very heady. A very decisive scent, hence while it is called Justice I suppose.

 

Aftermath

Well in the end this was just TOO strong on me and I will not use it for anything but meditation work. However if you like your scents strong and decisive do give this a try

[Theravada]

Amber? Rosewood? Orange blossom? This is a bright, effervescent orange scent. Very nice. I can picture beautiful Lady Justice in her flowing, white linen robes holding the golden scales aloft in one strong hand. Incredible work.

[scourgeotheseas]

Justice

 

In the bottle: Ripe, sweet fruit. Lovely!

 

On me: Turns into a combo of fruit and oven cleaner on me, although the lemony fresh scent may be helping that association along. Going powdery, but in a good way. A bit of resin, definitely. It’s not green or woody, but maybe floral?

 

Drydown: Florals coming out after a while, but it’s still a mix of floral and lemon? Becoming more spicy? Herbal? Whatever it is, it’s really great.

[brownbat]

At first, very citrusy. Maybe grapefruit? It's becoming a bit more masculine. That yummy smooth citrus masculine like King of Diamonds. There may be a soft light floral in there. Maybe a white musk? It's getting sharper and more 'perfumey' as it progresses. Ah, its become citrusy again. Now its mellowing out and is warm and smooth. Yumm.

[sarada]

Somehow, despite having begun my interest in Tarot about 20 years ago (when I was about 11), I always forget that there is a Justice card...I confuse it with Judgement. So I had not put this on my list of things I wanted to try. But I just nabbed an imp (in advance of the Tarot circle reaching me!) and I am excited to try out my sixth Tarot oil!

 

This reminds me of some of the green tea scents, in the vial. Dormouse, Apothecary, Embalming Fluid...and as it dries down it reminds me a bit of Bewitched. I think that as it dries I'm getting something dry and woody like orris or white sandalwood out of it...that bone dry, dusty fragrance that I recognize from Shroud and Dragon's Bone.

 

It develops a kind of dusty herbal sweetness as it develops. Sage? I feel like there are green tea and sage, something dry and woody, and something slightly lemony in this. Very nice! I don't know that it makes me think of the concept of Justice but I would still wear it on a day that I needed to have the law on my side, just in case!

[pekeana]

If I had to compare Justice to another scent in the BPAL catalogue, I would definitely have to say it's the older, wiser sibling of Embalming Fluid. They have similar overall scents to them, and I think they share a common aloe or tea note, but whereas Embalming Fluid can be screechingly loud and obnoxious at times, Justice stays soft, subtle, and even-keel, gently turning people to its own wiles. It's definitely a good balancing scent, and I feel much calmer wearing it.

[OdetteOdile]

Sweet amber and spice with a sort of root beer note. There's a little bit of a wood note too - sandalwood? - but it's not masculine at all on me (yea!) There's something familiar about it, but I can't place it.

This would smell great in a lotion, I think.

I absolutely adore this oil and will be ordering a bottle in the next update order.

[Rheliwen]

Justice initially smells citrusy with a hint of ozone/aquatic.

 

As it dries, I'm getting a faint moss, and a subtle amber laced with ozone and maybe green tea or ginger (I think these are the cause of the citrus I am smelling). It's a tart scent, bright and ready to face the day. It's light yellow-green scent to me.

 

Sea of Glass actually reminds me of a way more amped up Justice. Neo-Tokyo is another comparison, though Justice is more subdued. I also see some similarities between this and the Hermit. Creepy because they were both important cards for me last year.

 

Dry, the sweetness has faded and it's a nice, subtle green scent. It's perfect for a lounging summer day.

Edited April 22, 2005 by Rheliwen

[cuervosueno]

Like Sarada, I always forget there is a Justice card, confusing it with Judgement. Even though I've read and studied the Tarot for a long time, I can't remember the last time this card came up in a reading for me.

So when I first got this (a freebie with my BPAL t-shirt) I thought it was Judgement. but of course its not.

Perhaps fitting with my forgetting the card, I find the scent very difficult to characterize. Wet, it was green. Floral. Clean. Not compelling. On me it is like a green floral soap, one of those ones that is small and round and in guest bathrooms.

Not a keeper, I'm afraid, not even for the card associations.

[slave1]

JUSTICE: Tarot Oil

 

In Bottle: Floral and fruit.

 

On Skin: Beautiful! This is my favorite tarot so far… oh my! It is glamorous and feminine. I can’t really pick out individual notes, it smells like an expensive perfume though. It is a bit strong and may annoy other people because it does stand out so much. But I like making a statement. I know it’s floral but it seems like there’s some sweet fruit in there as well, and maybe green tea? Very elegant.

[Witch's Dagger]

Justice

 

This was a part of the Tarot swap - since I need to review all of them in a very short time, this will be a brief review.

 

In the vial:

I want to say eucalyptus. It’s reminiscent of mint without actually being mint - very fresh and blue/green

 

On me:

Wow - I know what this is, but I can’t place the name. It’s cool, watery, and yet soft and warm. It smells like sweet rain. Yes, that’s it - sweet rain, with a slight hint of grass. Where the Emperor was a sunny day with a storm approaching, this is a summer day under the rain. Very nice and calming.

 

In 10 minutes:

About the same, nice, sweet, somewhat floral rainwater.

 

Overall:

I really like this, and may get a bottle, but it’s near the bottom of the list, since I’m rarely in the mood for something so light.

[nineveh]

This started out as a light citrus and floral scent. My boyfriend and I think that it's a youthful, uplifting scent. It reminds him of summer. After a while, a scent like warm, dry grasses emerges that reminds me of the Lion. My boyfriend says that it's nice and that it makes him want to take deeper whiffs, but I think it's too grassy for me to wear as a perfume.

[tempete]

I have two tarted imps of Justice from swaps which smell completely different, so I will review them both.

 

One is a very light, citrus-y, green tea type of scent, which is consistent with most of the reviews for Justice. I agree that it is reminiscent of BPAL's tea scents, but Kumiho remains my favourite tea scent, so this imp isn't staying in my collection.

 

The other starts out as a green-tinged violet that morphs into a kind of deep, caramelly sweet amber-based scent. Much later, the violet note reappears, floating above the heavier notes. My experience with this imp is very similar to Nadirah's, and strangely, we're the only two people who have detected this particular set of notes for Justice. This is exactly what I hoped Sybaris would smell like, if my skin didn't amp up clove to unbearable levels. I only have a half-imp of this, and will be very sad when it's gone...

 

(For the record, I tried both imps at the same time, on the same arm even. I can only conclude that my violet/amber imp of Justice was an anomaly or mislabelled.)

[allidavie]

I have no clue, at all, as to what's in this baby. Yummy floral, and most florals don't do it for me at all. I love it - I just don't know how to describe it. But considering I'm a lawyer, I could always use some justice anyway, right?

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Very faint scent, but it's smooth, and a bit breezy.

 

Just On: A smooth breezy scent, but oh so faint.

 

An hour or two later: This is almost gone already. Apparently not a laster on me.

 

Around 6 hours: It's gone.

 

12 hours: Way gone from me.

 

Overall: I like this, even though it doesn't last as long as many others.

 

After reading other reviews: I'd have to agree with everyone who said it was well balanced, even though I didn't get quite the exact same notes. the smooth could easily be wood smoke and resin, the breezy, I'm not sure about, perhaps ozone.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 4/5

Summarised in a word or two: Herbal.

 

In the imp/bottle: Very light, an almost yellow-green kind of scent. Herbal.

 

On skin, wet: This smells hauntingly familar, but I can't figure out from where... definitely a BPAL scent -- one I sniffed when I first became addicted. But I don't know what.

 

On skin, dry: I really like this! It's floral, but herbal, but not overly so. It's sweet, but just a tad bitter. Very smooth, and very light. Unfortunately, it's also very faint.

 

Conclusion: This, sadly, is another "I love this! ...But I'd have to bathe in it... and I don't know if I love it enough to bathe in it" scent. I may eventually buy it, along with the other Tarots, for ritual use.

Edited December 20, 2005 by Aredhel