Tzadikim Nistarim

[feline.by.design]

... The scent is one of unadulterated spiritual purity, with a taste of the world's eternal pathos, and the joy of suffering with grace: frankincense, olive, spikenard, hyssop and galangal.

Tzadikim Nistarim is a very odd little scent. It smells very familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

On me, I get a very peach-like fragrance. I don't know how I wound up with this because I've seen so many different descriptions on this page from other reviewers, but on me, peach city. It may be the galangal or hyssop I smell, since I'm not really a hundred percent sure what either smells like. I thought at first that it smelled similar to Cheshire Cat BPAL, however it doesn't. It is kind of like the Cheshire Cat's cousin, though, with the Cheshire Cat being citrusy-sweet and Tzadikim Nistarim being more peachy-sweet. I had to put the fragrances on each arm to see if there was any sort of similarities. They share a juicy feel to them, and it seems like fans of one would enjoy the other. Well, except for me.

I'm actually rather funny about peaches in that I don't like them other than to eat, and even then I only will do the actual fruit. I hate peach pies, peach cobblers, peach-scented candles, peach flavours, even canned peaches. Thus, I'm going to be passing this fragrance on to someone else who might enjoy it more than I do.

In terms of staying power, this one does tend to fade a bit more than other oils, but it is sort of in the fruity, light category, so this shouldn't be surprising.

-doreen

[vitawash24]

I would never have ordered this one from the ingredients list, but I got it in as an extra in a swap...and oh, my. It's so lovely. I get a peach-like fragrance, but rather than seeming potpourri-ish, it turns mellow and bright all at once. Not what I expected and really amazing.

[malanna]

This is coconut and lime at first. Half an hour later, I get green tea. A few minutes after that impression, there’s a bit of pine and pineapple mixed in with the green tea. An hour after, this is pine, but fruity. I can’t quite smell the bark—just the green in the pine and the fruitiness (pineapple) keeps it from being an earthy/woody scent. This isn’t quite tropical, but this is still a sunny Christmas, celebrated while wearing Bermuda shorts. After the pine/pineapple impression, there’s more tea and more green. This is a bit more concentrated than most scents and does a bit of wafting, but it doesn’t last too long. In the fifth hour, this is a bit of nothing-scented powder. I just saw feline.by.design's review, and the fruitiness is more peach than pineapple....

[TheDarkMother]

In the Bottle: A rather sweet, incensy smell that I can't quite place. Hmm...

 

On Me: There is a sweet floral and a tangy olive scent behind it. Oh wow, this is very, very nice. There is almost a fruity blend, but I couldn't tell you what it is. Its almost like grapes, but sweeter, like wine without the booze. This is gorgeous! I just can't stop smelling my wrist! ARGH, WHAT IS IT???? Its like a thick, sweet juice, like the sun filtered through trees and squeezed into a bottle.

 

I don't know what it is, all I know is that it is simply breath taking! I think this one has become my new favorite scent! A gallon of this one, after I completely bathe myself in this one, that is!

[shelldoo]

This is a very beautiful blend. It does smell strongly of somekind of fruity blend, i do not think just pineapple tho. And frankincense is really coming out. What a gorgeous bland is about all I can think. it also has quite a throw. I am enjoying this one it is a keeper.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I really don't know what to expect from this one. I'll be the first to admit that I have no clue what spikenard or hyssop or galangal are, let alone what they smell like, so I'm going into this blind, but I love the name and the story behind this scent, so I'm hoping for the best.

 

First sniff:

 

Something in this is reminding of me of King of Spades and I have absolutely no idea what it is. I smell something vaguely fruity in here for sure...since I have no idea what the majority of the notes in this smell like, I have no idea what it is. It could be the olive I'm smelling, but I don't think of olive as smelling fruity normally. I can smell a bit of frankincense in the background, but, apart from that, fruitiness is all I can pick out.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Now I smell the olive and I know it's olive, there's also something vaguely floral smelling here, too, and frankincense in the far, far background. This is really very unusual smelling and I'm not sure if I love it or hate it. It's also hard for me to pin down; on one sniff I smell olive, on another, frankincense, and on another something herbal and almost metallic. I wish I knew what the "mystery notes," that I've never heard of outside of BPAL were because I have a feeling it would clear up a lot of my confusion.

 

Dry down:

 

Ugh, olive and nothing else. I smell like I ought to be dipped in a martini. Unfortunately, I hate olives, so this is an unfortunate turn for this one. I was up in the air about it until it dried, but now I'm sure this isn't for me. Me + olives =

 

The bottom line:

 

As much as I wanted to like this, the olive is just too strong for me, so the Tzadikim Nistarim will be moving on.

 

Afterthoughts:

 

I got curious and looked up the "mystery notes" and, apparently, none of them will explain what I was smelling, so it must have been the olives after all. Very strange...very, very strange.

[Fulltiltredhead]

Galangal smells like crushed pine needles, with whiffs of cinnamon and mild ginger. clicky "Just had your first taste of Tom Kha Gai and your senses are still reeling from the exotic citrus flavor of something that clearly was not a fruit? Did you bite into something so exciting and pleasant that you thought about forgetting the main course and simply ordering more soup? The “kha” in that soup is a fantastic member of the ginger family called galanga or galangal." I believe this is the pineapple/mango/orange smell we're getting.

 

Hyssop, a member of the mint family, smells a little like fresh, crushed rosemary - Fresh, earthy, fruity, woody, slightly sweet.

 

Spikenard is in the same family is valerian, and is said to be effective for tension, stress, migraine, nervous indigestion and insomnia. It's characteristics are heavy, sweet-woody, spicy-animal odor reminiscent of valerian, ginger, cardomom, atlas cedarwood oils, with a flavor that is warm-spicy, rootlike in sweetness, somewhat pinewood like and slightly bitter-burning, powerful.

 

Frankincense is one of the tree oils that can really calm and soothe the whole body and mind. It eases all the aches and pains, clears the lungs and acts as a skin tonic. It is fresh, woody, balsamic, slightly spicy and fruity.

 

This oil blend is a blessing in a bottle, and the longer I wear it, the more I like it. I'm going to sleep in it tonight and see how I feel in the morning. For now, I have it slathered on each wrist and forearm, and I've been putting my nose between my wrists and breathing in deeply. Its scent is delicious and its effect is profoundly calming.

[closedacct]

I didn't know what to expect from this. I really didn't know how most of the ingredients smelled, except for spikenard .. So, when i got this grapefruit-y coconut smell, I was surprised. But, in a good way.

 

Tzadikim is really refreshing. I really love grapefruit EO, because it is so spicy....this makes me think of a bottle of grapefruit EO that I always used to carry with me for its invigorating effects.

 

I like to wear this when I have been feeling down or sick. It just makes me feel good.

 

 

 

btw, it smells very nice layered with black pearl!

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Herbal and fruity and utterly indescribable. This is like an outdoor church (I guess the church impressions are from the frankincense and spikenard) - fresh, but a sanctuary nonetheless.

Wearing: Wet, the herbal notes stand out, but as this scent dries, the fruitiness really takes over. I agree with the reviewers above who smelled peach. While I've never been terribly fond of peach, the herbal notes in this keep it from being cloying.

Final Impressions: Beautiful! I only wish this had better staying power.

[Rusalka]

What an odd, lovely scent...

 

I didn't mean to do more than sniff at this, initially, but a few drops splashed on me when opening the imp (my clumsiness is the stuff of legend), and surrounded me in such a sweet, creamy scent; not quite pineapple, not really peach, but something in between. I think I caught a slight tone of something like vanilla in there, which might have accounted for the 'creaminess'.

 

Over the last twenty minutes or so, it's mellowed into something far milder, and a good deal less fruity. The sweetness is still there, but there's a hint of tang to it -- nothing sharp -- and the overwhelming impression is one of distant incense. Very lovely, which surprises me, as frankincense, if that's what it is, never used to suit me at all.

[Moonpuff]

Hmm....this one seems like I should like it... and really, I WOULD -- BUT I can't get rid of that weird underlying smell that for some reason remindes me of some medicine I took as a child. Whatever it is, it amplifies when I put it on my skin. I have tried this one three times and I'm gonna have to give up. I just can't shake it.

 

The decision: It's a swapper.

[nevermore]

I can see where people are getting the "candy" association from - this blend is really quite sweet and somewhat fruity. I don't think it's pineapple, but something else more exotic. I'm not really a huge fan of fruity scents, and was expecting something more resiny, but this is quite nice. I'll be keeping it, but I don't know about a bigger bottle.

[surf-tormented]

Smells like fresh peach on me for a long time then settles into frankincense. I smell nothing else than peach and frankincense...am I losing my mind? I have tasted/smelled galangal and it smelled nothing like peach or mango, more like strong ginger. It anything it had a slight fruity/citrus taste, but nothing like peach.

 

Lasts a long time. I am unsure if I would want a bottle of this, but I have thought about it. i can't pin down what it making the peach smell. It does get a bit overpowering. I swore for awhile BPAL had switched labels with the peach single note on this one. It has all I could smell until hours later and then it was all frankincense without peach.

Edited February 14, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[oatmealneko]

Vial: Pineapple or mango, very fruity.

Wet: Still that same fruity smell, either pineapple, mango, or passionfruit, possibly some type of tropical fruit, also a faint hint of herbal scent.

Dry: There's still that faint hint of herbal scent lurking in the background, but the tropical fruit smell has become stronger, & there's quite a bit of throw to it now. It's bright & clean, there's no sharpness to the scent nor does it turn sweet, either. It also has excellent staying power. I put it on this morning, & can still smell it this afternoon.

 

Love love love. I'm definitely getting this in a bottle at some point.

Edited March 14, 2005 by oatmealneko

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

sweetness, creaminess, melon

 

Wet

Melon or exotic citrus. Something green and something floral with the sweet melon smell. There's a spicy scent in the background also.

10 Minutes

The calming spikenard is actually working it's wonders on me as I type.

The scent hasn't changed too much. It's sweet, spicy, lightly floral or green and melon.

20 minutes

This too turned powdery which is a good thing.

But it is still pretty strong. I can't stop sniffing it. It's a little more golden now as if amber were in there somewhere.

Throw:

medium

Scent category:

citrus/floral

Summary

A tad strong, but with an undercurrent of golden, warm and spicy things.

It's almost as good and along somewhat similar lines to the one I just reviewed previous to this (Xiuhtecuhtli) but this is a little deeper, warmer and thicker.

Purchase again?

Yes. An imp.

1-5 rating, 5 being best.

3.5

Edited March 15, 2005 by UltraViolet

[Loligo]

I'm so jealous of all the people who loved this scent! It sounded fascinating, but alas, it hates me.

 

In the bottle, it smells like a liqueur: some unidentified fruit turned into something rich and also a little harsh. On first applying it: Yuck, the first obvious note smells like cotton candy or something else fake and sweet. Then it turns into a complicated but generally unpleasant scent, fruity and floral, but with notes of must, rot, and acid. Seriously, it smells like someone ate a fruit salad and then vomited. (I can definitely see what another reviewer meant about "cat pee"). After fading, it turns into a warm and not-unpleasant incense scent (that would be the frankincense, I guess, which I love and which generally smells great on me), with occasional faint whiffs of nursing-home stink. Maybe that's the part about "the joy of suffering with grace". Will definitely be looking to trade this.

[tempete]

Initially, Tzadikim Nistarim was sweet tropical fruit on me - not quite pineapple, and definitely not melon, peach or mango. It smelled like something fleshy and fibrous like a pineapple, but not watery like a melon. The sweetness very gradually faded and turned slightly soapy in the drydown.

 

Overall, the scent did give off an aura of spiritual purity. Since this doesn't describe me in the least and I'm not a fan of sweet, fruity scents, I'm passing this scent onto someone else.

[helarctos]

Tzadikim Nistarim is very fruity and light on me -- it smells of fresh peaches and nectarines.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I really appreciate FullTilt explaining some of the notes in this!

 

Oh...oh wow! This oil is what my mom calls a Come to Jesus moment. Well, a Come to Goddess moment for me, more likely. I can't believe how comforting this is. Sweet, but not in a cloying way, and with this soft herbalness peeking out, and all of it over a beautiful incense and a warm touch of olive-oil. I can't believe how exotic yet familiar it is, like a favorite food you hadn't discovered before. It feels Middle Eastern to me, like what I *hoped* Morocco would be. I want to eat this, or anoint things with it, or maybe put it in my hair--it seems like it could be an ancient homemade beauty formula of some sort. Yes, I think *ancient* is the best word for it, yet vital and alive. This is not the sort of thing I ever wear, but I may use it as a room scent to make the house a temple.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: I don't know about this. It has a fruity rotteness that reminds me of apricots. March Hare did not do well on me so this blend scares me a little. There's also a vague herbal note to it that I can't really identify.

 

Wet: Yeah, sweet fruit on the verge of rotting and some kind of herbal in it as well. It has that vague bubble gum note that seems to be lotus.

 

Dry down: Ew. Now it's more of a slight fruit with some very strong olive and herbal notes. It has a really bad salt tang to it as well as an overpowering herbal scent to it. It smells like herbs.

 

Dry: Herbs and olive tang with a slight background sweet fruit. Washing off.

[kmasden]

Top was very bubble gum, but just for a moment. I am amazed at how this smells compared to the description of notes listed. As it dries, I smell that bit that people are referring to as melon. I would say it smells mangoish to me, or like papaya, some type of orange tropical fruit. I suppose it could be a honeydo smell...but hmmm...It smells like fruit with soft white flowers. It is very interesting and i can't think of a better way to describe it. It is very heady and rich and floral with that fruit back (sounds like I'm taking a shot!)

[slave1]

Bottle: Frankincense

 

On Skin: The spikenard gives off a very sharp woody pine scent, the hyssop is a bit more sweet and the galangal gives off a nice ginger tone. The frankincense had died down a bit and now I can smell the olive. This is a very interesting and complex scent. I think I would prefer this on a man. It is very fresh and exotic. I like that it isn’t too pungent and has a sweet side.

[voodoobaby]

In the vial: Oh wow. This is so complex! And deep! It's tangy, but very earthy, with something lending a vague sweetness to it. Almost fruity, but not like something you would eat, per se. The first thing I noticed was the kind of green bite that smells like a leaf that you've torn open. Fresh and crisp, but definitely not light.

 

Wearing: *blinks* This is incredible. It's definitely kind of fruity, and maybe even floral (smells like it could be rose or jasmine or something like that, only light), but at the same time neither of the two. It does strike me as being a little foody, but...still not. I would call it exotic in a way, like nothing I've ever smelled before. This might be because I'm not familiar with most of the notes, though. Oh, and amazingly enough with my skin chemistry, I don't get straight frankincense. I do, however, get a general incensey smell.

 

Later: The longer I wear it the sweeter it gets. It smells sugary--in fact, as I sniff the air around me, I can almost taste powdered sugar in my throat. That said, it doesn't smell powdery at all. At the same time, it's so deep and earthy and serenely beautiful. Feminine, for sure.

 

Overall: I can't do this scent justice in words. It's something that needs to be experienced. I would recommend this to anyone, as I think it has a little something for every taste. A new favorite of mine.

Edited May 20, 2005 by voodoobaby

[Eros]

In the imp, first applied~Marigolds! Like my grandmother's garden

Bright, herbal scent w/a hint of olive. Sweetened a little after about an hour but overall scent is so light I can barely detect it.

Lovely but too light for me.

[dcmo]

I would never have known what to expect from the ingredients list, but I got it in as an extra in a swap...and Wow this is gorgeous! I get a sweet golden fruit scent that is clean, smooth and very calming. A great scent for everday and when you need that little extra special pick me up. I never expected to love this but I do!