Tzadikim Nistarim

[QueenFae]

... 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.

Wow, I have no idea what spikenard, hyssop, and galangal smell like, but this oil smells wonderful. It's got a light, fruity feel to it, a bit like Corazon does. I can smell the olive, and it's lovely. It's not the olive smell you expect when you crack a jar of olives from your fridge, it's a sweet, light, heavenly olive like in The Body Shop's Olive Glossing Shampoo. I am so pleasantly surprised with this one, I got it as a freebie and I probably never would have tried it. It's right down my ally, gentle, green, planty, fruity and innocent. I think I need a 5ml!!!

[k00kaburra]

I just love that this scent exists; I think it is a fantastic idea.

In bottle: There's something almost fruity here - the olive, perhaps? Very dusty. It is like a forgotten corner of a city, with a crumbling wall made of ancient brick and tiny plants blooming in the cracks. It really reminds me of fruit - a musk melon, perhaps. Gorgeous, whatever is in this - and not nearly as incense-heavy as I expected. I don't know what most of these notes are but dang, I love this fragrance.

On me: LOVE IT. That delicious melon/pineapple fruit smell mingles with green notes and the slightest hint of incense for a simply gorgeous perfume. If this is the scent of spiritual purity, then I am going to use this scent quite often. I think it will be an excellent scent to wear on days when I feel negative; it will serve to remind me of my goals and aspirations to be better than I am now.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Very herby.

 

Just On: All green herbs. Not cut, not grounds, just lean over and sniff them where they sit, still planted.

 

An hour or two later: Green herbs.

 

Around 6 hours: This is virtually gone.

 

12 hours: Bye bye.

 

Overall: This was nice, but doesn't make the big bottle cut for me.

 

After reading other reviews: I really don't know most of the notes, so it's no surprise that I coulnd't identify them. I really did get just fresh herbs, and it faded fairly quickly compared to many other BPALs. It's a nice enough scent, but it didn't captivate me at all.

[Firewaver]

Oooo!

 

Upon dabbing, it smells like pineapple juice with a hint of olive.

 

A little bit drier.. there's a spiky note in there, or maybe I'm just thinking that after reading the description (spikenard). It smells kind of like.. cactus?

 

But in a yummy way. It's a green/golden scent that is just beautiful!

[eadavenp]

ripe juicy pineapple tempered by something as it goes on wet. its something that cuts the sweetness of the pineapple, but it is still fruity. as it dries, it becomes sweet more in the manner of dried pineapple and fresh olives (in israel) this is a very happy scent for me and may very well be a big bottle purchase. The notes on paper sounded strange, but i loved the concept and im glad to have ordered this imp. even if i don't buy a big bottle, i will keep that for sure!

[jewelbug]

I confess to not knowing what any of the single notes in this smell like. I normally wouldn't have felt the need to try this from the description. But I was drawn to this imp after reading the reviews of pineapple-y sweet herbal wonderful-ness. I mean, how could I resist?

 

In the Bottle: Wow, this is very fruity sweet, though I don't think any of the single notes are fruit. Are olives fruity before we pickle them? I've only ever smelled the olives we eat after salt and canning and whatnot…. Regardless, this is very interesting. Its almost got a citrus edge on the fruit. As I expected, I can't pick out any of the specific notes, cuz I don't know what they smell like.

On skin, wet: Immediately very fruity, almost bubblegum. But not worries, the gum is very short-lived, and a grounding note (floral?) appears to give balance to the sweet fruit. It's still quite sweet, but it's very pretty so far!

On skin, dry: The floral/not-quite-powdery scent has blended wonderfully with the sweet fruit, giving a sweet (no syrupy, but almost creamy) but wonderfully grounded result. I really wish that I could identify what the fruit is--I can't--but I understand why previous reviewers have listed all sorts of tropical fruits--it's got that more exotic feel to it. If this is galangal, I want more scents with that note! If its olive, then I want those!

Later dry: This is still sweet, but now it feels less fruity, and some resin woodsy notes are coming out (2ish hours). I can only assume this is the frankincense. Frankincense, nice to meet you….the pleasure is all MINE! (Mental note to try more frankincense blends). This also develops a slightly spicy feel late in the day that is lovely with the resin and fruit.

 

Overall: Sweet, fruity, lightly floral (good, cuz i'm not floral lover by any means), with grounding resin and spice. WOW! Something for everyone. Especially ME! This is light and innocent, but the resin and spice keeps it "real." I can see this being a summer scent for me. I'm considering a big bottle, but even if i don't get one, i'm keeping this imp. This scent just managed to push my "the unicorn" imp over to the swap pile. As far as sweet innocent very lightly floral scents go, TN just donkey kicked the unicorn's arse.

 

ETA: this fades to very faint notes after 5-6ish hours. But its worth reapplying. In fact, I just did so. Wow. Off to gleefully wallow in my scent cloud!

ETA (again): Oooh, i was wrong. It lasts much longer than 5-6 hours. Its been on now for 9-10, and I can still smell a gentle sweetness. Mmmmmmm....

Edited August 16, 2005 by jewelbug

[AliBabble]

this didn't work for me. i thought it smelled pretty nice in the vial. and i LOVE the concept of this oil. but when i put it on: oh dear...i get the cat pee thing, that someone mentioned in another review. and although i detect and enjoy the pineapple, i get an overwhelming aroma of "old lady hair salon". you know - the hair dye or perm chemicals that smell like sulfur? i just couldn't ignore that smell.

[urraca]

The scent is striking on two different levels. First, it smells absolutely beautiful. It remains true to the way it smells in the vial right through the drydown. I can see why some say pineapple and others get a hint of bubblegum but what I think has happened is that Beth has invented a new Mediterranean fruit that doesn't exist but should. At the same time is is creamy and sweet, juicy and sour. It grows in oases where it nourishes parched travellers who had despaired of finding water.

 

And that brings me to the second striking thing about this scent. It is magic. Beth has chosen powerful and historical ingredients and using them has managed to bottle the scent of hope.

 

How soon can I get a big bottle of this?

Edited September 9, 2005 by urraca

[Little Bird]

This is a very interesting scent. I definitely get the pineapple smell that other people have mentioned, but this has an overall dry, spiky sort of feel for me. It makes me think of deserts, cactuses, and hardy plants heated in the harsh sun. The pineapple-esque smell is an interesting, slightly earthy sweetness, not an outright, fakey-sweet pineapple smell. I can definitely smell the dry woods of the galangal and an incensey something as well. This even smells a bit sandy to me.

 

It's like stumbling through the desert, surrounded by cacti & an oddly fragrant, fruity sweetness, with hints of a woodsy incense wafting through the air from somewhere off in the distance.

 

Very interesting, and very evocative.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Little Bird

[blood*rose*flowers]

In the bottle: This smells some how familiar but I can't place it. I do get a olive and herby scent with just a touch of a sweet scent in the back.

 

First on: First on its really sweet I am a bit shocked about that but its nice it has an almost Dragon Blood scent but light.

 

Drydown: Its getting a bit more herby but still sweet its a really nice scent that might also be really nice on a guy. Though its not dark or musk it still might be good. I will have to try it on my guy. Though it does sit really nice on me too!!

 

Add: I normally don't read the reviews right before I write a review so I can see what my nose thinks instead of what my mind knows. But I try to go back and read them later. When I looked back at the reviews I went what pinapple???? I didn't see any but I'll be I went back to sniff this one and suddenly I am wearing pinapple now in later's. It is more unusual then I first thought but still kind of cool.

Edited September 12, 2005 by blood*rose*flowers

[inkstone]

A freebie from the Lab.

 

This is a very pretty blend! It's a light, fruity and smooth scent. I really, really liked it!

 

Unfortunately, my skin gobbled it up and it was gone in 10 minutes flat.

[Julilla Regina]

This is one of those interesting blends that freak out on some people and lay down and smooch with others, it seems.

 

I got no fruit, pineapple, citrus or anything like that out of TN. I got hard, dark, pounding incense. It really wanted to kick my ass, I think. On the positive side, I did not get 'cat pee'. Honestly, just dark incense through and through.

[sarahj]

Tzadikim Nistarim

 

freebie from the lab

 

in vial: a nondescript sweet smell

 

wet: fake banana candy?

 

dry: the bananas go away and I am left with a faint, nondescript floral scent

 

verdict: not for me...off to swaps

[harmonyfb]

I got this as a freebie in a generous trade.

 

In the bottle: Ugh! I expected it to be 'churchier', but this smells almost like an evil lemon.

 

Wet: Some odd yellow fruity smell (I think that's the spikenard) that just overwhelmed me.

 

Dry: I confess, I didn't leave it on that long. I disliked the smell so intensely that I ran to wash it off. Ah, well. I'll pass that one on.

[herongale]

pre-conceived notion: when I got this imp, I'd forgotten entirely why I'd ordered it, or what the Tzadikim Nistarim was supposed to be. So all the various times I've tried it, it's basically become "that cocktail scent." Now, re-reading the description, I remember why I was so fascinated by this… there's a short story by Jonathan Carroll along these lines, about one of the blessed ones of God going absolutely insane and killing herself before her time, corrupted by her resentment and hatred. The concept behind this is so deliciously pre-flood… God in his most immature incarnation. I rather suspect that the various notes of this are going to be a bit lost on me, because I already know that I get one very, very strong impression from this scent that does not fit with any of the things mentioned… but anyway. On to my formal review!

 

in the imp: This is a strong tropical, coconut-sweet fruit, immediately recognizable to me as pina colada (sans rum). It's a very refreshing, happy fragrance. The fruits are slushed together in a really yummy way.

 

wet: pina colada to the max.

 

drydown: No matter how I try this fragrance… tangling it in my hair, putting drops of it on a lightbulb and letting it warm up and inhabit my room, or (of course) through the old-fashioned method of swiping some onto my skin… wet or dry, this is 100% total pina colada. I don't get any spices, or olive scents (although I'm not sure what an olive fruit is supposed to smell like fresh, to be fair). I suspect that the spikenard, hyssop, and galangal are all code words for "coconut and pineapple." Interestingly, despite the strong pina colada association (I tend to think of pina colada as a cheap scent that is fitting only for really young girls or lushes), I am not at all turned off. There is an absolute freshness and authenticity to this that is very different from a standard pina colada mix (or even the various pina colada fragrances I've come across in my time). It smells good. It's a really playful, summery scent. Nothing sophisticated to it, but in overall mood it reminds me of Korres' Guava Body Butter (which is a fantastic product). This would really work well in a cruise setting, and reminds me of the Caribbean cruise I took last November, particularly when we were out at sea and I was sitting on the balcony of our room, looking out over the brilliant blue water and golden skies and reading my Robertson Davies. A great vacation scent.

 

verdict: I'm going to use up the imp. Will probably only want to wear regularly during the summer months, however.

 

post-conceived notion: fruits and incense make for an interesting blend. I wish that the frankincense were more prominent because I think that would give this depth… I have the feeling this would be a really great base blend for layering.

[olympia301]

 

Immediately it reminded me of Aglaea with that almost myrtle/woody scent. It is a little bit like camphor and rather bracing. It also reminds me of a plant I grow called "Sweet Annie" when you crush the leaves.

 

I can definately see the idea of the joy of suffering being brought out in this blend. It is very beautiful but quite austere and I think it is the antithesis of "foody" and the soul of "aesthete". Saints probably smell this way.

 

I suspect this is more of a ritual blend than it is a "perfume" smell-good blend. It makes a great statement and if you are partial to the idea and the tradition, this is a fine blend for you.

[darkitysnark]

Tzadikim Nistarim

 

Another barter with rhubarbbear!

 

I finally finished reading Foucault's Pendulum a few months ago, and with visions of the Thirty Six Invisibles dancing in my head, I promptly jotted this guy down on my wishlist. I am familiar with only a few of the notes listed, but figured this would be a more conceptual blend rather than a "for the smell of it" thing.

 

I'm going to have to break from my usual review style to cover this one, as the circumstances of trial are so much different from my usual procedure.

 

Pulled this out of my collection for my first full day in my Mother-in-Law's burnt out house. I didn't have my spreadsheet handy, but something in my aft-brain snagged on the "joy in suffering" bit and thought that this would be appropriate for the task ahead. The MIL is an OCD hoarder, and her house partially burned in a no-casualties fire a few weeks back. We flew over to help prepare the house for reconstruction and to sift through the remains for salvageable items.

 

There was a great deal of sadness in our task, but also fond rememberance. And the MIL was surprisingly receptive to our suggestions of what should be thrown out.

 

Still, there were moments of mild strife, of resistance, and of resurfacing old emotional wounds. When the soot and mildew and despair got to me, I took a whiff of my wrists. This blend was grounding, calming, and firm... exactly how I wanted to be for my family.

 

Normally, this would be too solemn for me. But for this one day alone, I will keep this imp and use it.

[PurringPulsar]

Tzadikim Nistarim

 

In the imp: I can see why people say this smells a bit like pineapple…it’s quite fruity and light, which is a surprise.

Wet on skin: this smells so sweet and juicy as opposed to the resinous olive scent I was expecting. There’s a bit of greenness there too.

Dry: ah yes, now the green scent becomes more apparent. This might be hyssop. The frankincense in this blend is very light, bright, and sweet. This isn’t a heavy resin scent. The olive can just about be detected, but thankfully doesn’t smell too much like, erm, salad oil. I’m puzzled as to what the pineapple/tropical fruit like smell is-maybe it’s galangal? Apparently that has a fruity-gingery scent and there is a very light hint of spice to this. It’s a totally unexpected scent to what I was thinking it would be, and very pleasant.

After a while: it’s just become sweeter and fruitier! I wonder what’s making it smell like that? I don’t know, but I love it! It reminds me of something I’ve smelt before…I don’t know what but it reminds me of this fruity-floral perfume I tried ages ago and fell in love with, I think it was a lotus perfume. Although this scent shouldn’t have any fruity or floral notes in it…the mind boggles…though I get the olive (which is surprisingly pleasant and not savoury at all) and I think I can smell a little bit of spikenard at the base of the scent-that deep, green, slightly dirty/earthy note. It’s just a tiny amount underneath the bright sweetness of the overall scent. This smells like golden sunkissed fruit with a hint of something oily (in a good way) from the olive.

Verdict: this is one of those scents that really, really took me by surprise. I was expecting something austere and incense-y, herbal and dark with a savoury olive note. I know what spikenard smells like thanks to sniffing the e.o. in an aromatherapy shop…there is a little bit of that here but the overall scent was fruity, and sweet-almost candy like or floral, bright and sunny. It smells like summer fruits with a little bit of something oily from the olives, and a hint of green herbs. This does indeed smell hopeful, and holy too-but in a positive, warm sense. This is a delightful scent and I think I might need to get more of it.

[Celogrl]

This is a wonderfully odd scent! I ordered it, liking the fact that it sounded so 'ancient'. Upon applying it, I immediately noticed a olive-y, herbal type of waft through the air. This scent makes me feel like I'm on a hill in Jerusalem, the warm breeze swirling my hair while I sit and eat my bread and olives. It really is lovely.

[PeshaRocha]

Add me to the long list of people blown away be a frimp they would never have ordered. This is a stellar, knockout scent!

 

In the bottle -- complex and sweet

 

Wet -- less sweet and a dry tanginess emerges

 

Drydown -- If I stick my nose directly on my wrist and snort deeply, there's a sweet, decay-like scent. But from even a centimeter away, the sweetness is barely discernible. From other people's pineapple comparisons, I'm guessing that my skin eats most of that note, which is good. But there's just enough of it to give a substantial roundness to this scent, an ineffable richness. That element actually makes this a perfect gothish scent to me. It makes me feel like a sybaritic vampire, contented and full, purring, in tattered but gorgeous velvet and chiffon. Totally not Beth's inspiration for this, I know!

 

The other aspect of this, though, does match Beth's description. It has a very incensey scent to it, which I love. This is especially wonderful for me, because I'm allergic to incense smoke and almost all incense resins, such as myrrh, sandalwood, and patchouli. Frankincense is the only one I can use, so this is a great scent for me. I've been looking for a scent to use when I meditate in place of incense, so I'm going to try this in my heat diffuser and see how I like it. If that sybaritic vampire bit comes through, it's not going to help me meditate! But if that fades out and leaves the rest of the scent, it would be perfect.

 

Extremely complex, well-rounded, and balanced. Simply amazing!

[cupide430]

Tzadikim Nistarim

 

Lightly sweet tropical fruit with a hint of a musky edge. There's a little something too heavy about this. I'm not sure where I'm getting the tropical fruit from. A little sweet and a little creamy. Overall, ok.

[Fefferbella]

Green herbs and fresh pine notes. This is a very refreshing, almost christmas-y scent.

 

Very faint, and fades quickly. This would smell heavenly on my man (pine notes LOVE his skin).

[AngellicMystique]

This smells like rancid bubble gum on me. I think it's the olive and hyssop combination on me.

 

This was a frimp, and I'm very depressed as this was on my wish list until I smelled it.

[girlmadasbirds]

hmm.. frankincense, wood...and grape lollipops?!? heh this smelled really nice for about 10 minutes and then the grape lollipop smell appeared and gave me a headache.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: fruity and sweet.

on: light and pretty. definitely tropical. a lush, fruity scent.

half an hour later: fruity, with a bitter citrus edge to it. very simple. not distracting. calming.

1.5 hours later: more ethereal now. it has a lightness to it that it didn't before. more the like the smell of lush fruits on a breeze than the fruits themselves.

2.5 hours later: softer still.

overall: i adore this. it's able to be fruity without being busy. i can definitely see myself being able to meditate or relax when wearing this. a keeper.