The Raven

[TereFaerie]

Sleek, dark, and ominous. Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk.

This was a somewhat pleasant floral on me, but the iris might have made it too white. It is not my style, certainly, so I will never wear it, but it shouldn't be overlooked by floral lovers. I have to say I couldn't tell that the violet or neroli were there, but it may just be that well blended that I couldn't pick them out.

I also thought it too "white" to be the Raven, but it is definitely not "bright". as florals go, it is a powdery soft blend with floral and musk.

[PersephonesChild]

I was surprised when I put this on my skin by how much it reminds me of Bluebeard. I suppose it's no that odd-- they share violet, sandalwood, and musk as notes, but I'd thought the vetiver was accounting for more the the scent in Bluebeard than seems to be the case. This is definitely the smoother of the two blends, and there's thankfully no lavender in it. The neroli darkens it quite intensely, and I smell no sandalwood. Musk has always been a background scent to me. The violet behaves interestingly-- when you think about it, it does smell like violet, but in the blend, it just seems to take up all the space between all the other notes.

[YoakeNoKami]

Imp: Oddly musky-but-airy floral.

 

On/wet: WHOA, there's that iris! Sharp at first, but with an earthy grounding note.

 

Drydown: Muted, crushed iris and warm woods--like an escaped garden iris in the wood loam at the very edge of the yard. A little more floral than I'd generally wear, but I can see in for a mellow, relaxed kind of day.

[MeiLin]

Imp: Violet and neroli on top and they're not sharing!

 

Wet: Violet, neroli and increasing iris with a lot of sandalwood

 

Drydown: First the sandalwood comes up, then retreats into the iris. The violet and neroli are cuddling on a fur rug of white musk.

 

I like this but I know what the husband will say: Too headshoppy for him. (Neroli and sandalwood.) Keepin' the imp, won't be buyin' a bottle.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Violet. Oh the violet. Add in iris and it may be the purplest scent ever. It’s smells like something that would taste wonderful, but on me? Not so much. Wet: The musk comes out a little on my skin. Add in the sandlewood and the effect is inauspicious. It is a little like rotting or burnt flowers. I don’t do well with dark musk, likely because my skin is already musky and together it is too much of a good thing. Here it gives the impression of corruption under the flowers. It well suits the concept of a carrion eating bird at the funeral though. Dry; Violet pastilles.

[ImperatrixMundi]

D'oh! The forum just ate the review I was going to post. Alright, once more:

 

The Raven does not appear to get so many good reviews but I like it. My guess is that you need to like violets and the black musk can turn to baby powder sometimes if you are unlucky.

 

It is mainly violets, the dark musk shows after a few minutes and fills out the backgroud with a sleek, dark and sweetly musky scent. Neroli shows right in the beginning and lends a slightly bitter edge, deepening the otherwise light and powdery florals. Iris and sandalwood play a supporting role. They may seem a bit too white and powdery on the whole but to me they are like a reflection on the shiny feathers of a raven.

 

Overall I am pleased with this and it does not smell like a powdery old lady scent to me. It gets more and more violet as the time passes and has long staying power.

[Luxari]

This had a strong musk overtone in the bottle, but there was definitely the hint of mysterious florals underneath.

 

On my skin this is exotic and almost dangerous. I wore this to go grocery shopping and people were taking a 'second sniff' and eyeing me curiously, as though looking to see what I was up to.

 

A definite keeper, too bad I only got an imp.

[djsiberia]

this one makes my nose crinkle. Something about it I don't like, its more than likely the neroli/violet/iris combo. very very floral.

 

i tried to like it, but as raven's go sometimes they breed discontent.

 

 

i'll have to pass on this.

[MaeKitty]

In the Bottle: Something very familiar here. A mellow deep floral, with the musk sitting in the background

On Me: The violet comes forward. I think this is what I found familiar in the bottle. It's a warmer scent than I expected. Honestly though, I love all things Corbae related, so I was bound to love this. Much more musky on the skin than in the bottle, but it's paired very nicely with the dark florals. It's definitely a night time scent. i see blue blacks, shimmering green and purple. The sandalwood is very light and gives it a bit of a powdery scent. Lovely.

[Nightroad103]

In the bottle: I smell violet and musk, mostly -- just a hint of the iris and sandalwood.

 

On me, wet: Definitely violet.

 

On me, dry: Still violet, and nothing else really shows up. I'll have to try this one again, sometime later when I feel like smelling like flowers.

 

 

edit: Rinsing with water helped to reduce the violet -- the iris was more noticeable. That's a plus for this on me, so I'll definitely have to give it another shot.

Edited February 22, 2008 by Nightroad103

[Elvena]

This is my perfume for when my hormones go insane and my body chemistry wants to eat all my favorite scents.

 

On the norm The Raven starts out heavily violet then drifts down into a very expensive and rich incensy violet powder. BUT, when my hormones go out of wack oooh baby! It turns into this rich and complex scent full of deep dark violets, sandlewood and other beautiful florals along with something oddly comforting, like I am wrapped in the friendly arms of a stately, golden eyed fellow with long dark raven hair and a mysterious regal smile. I love The Raven.

[Czarina]

In the imp: violet.

Wet: baby powder. Feh.

Drydown: baby powder goes away. Intense violet with musk and iris overtones.

 

I love violets so this one is a keeper for me.

[enderfem]

Imp: It smells exactly like a shampoo I used to use...I think possibly something by Suave.

 

Wet: Wow. Soapy. I think violet goes soapy on me like rose.

 

Drydown: Floral soap. Meh.

[taramarie]

Wet on my skin, The Raven is violet with a hint of sandalwood. Dry, it's just violet. While I love violet, I think I'll let The Raven age and see if the other notes come out.

[maribouquet]

Eh, mostly violet on me, and I'm not a fan of violet.

[savage_rose]

Cheap air freshener. I thought, "What IS that floral that has turned so repulsive and cloying on me? Violet?" Yup, sometimes it loves me, sometimes it loves me not.

[evanescence]

I'm a violet lover, and The Raven is a keeper. Just gorgeous deep violetyness. Beautiful throw, too.

[Brighid]

My first BPAL love. I bought the imp because of Poe love. I went from imp to bottle in about 10 seconds. Turns into a dark, wistful, ethereal floral on me. Every time I wear it, someone tells me I smell amazing. Now I just have to keep hoping it doesn't get discontinued.

[rusty]

violet, with the neroli keeping it 'high' while the musk is stronger and darker way below it.

 

and then, powder!

[Valtristus]

In the imp, the musk and violets are strong and heady and I love it. On my skin from the first moment to the moment it finally faded, it was pure baby powder with a whiff... of marshmellows? Not an unpleasant scent, to be sure. But I'm not a huge fan of walking around smelling like marshmellows and baby powder. I think I'll age this for a while and give it another go.

[isisonearth]

In the imp: Chopard's Violet Mints!

 

When first applied: Smells strongly of violet softened by musk. The scent of dark feathers.

 

Drydown: As it dries down I can smell the sandalwood along with the violet and musk. The neroli and iris never seem to come out on me in this blend.

 

Verdict: This is a perfect true violet scent (one of my favorites). It is rich and deep without even the slightest hint of old ladyishness.

[rawgirl75]

Ahhh Raven, you have surprised me.

 

When I first got my imp, I too was sadly disappointed. All the notes in this blend are usually favourites of mine, so I'd almost expected it to be a sure winner. But when I tested it, all I got was a bunch of sharp florals and powder. Yuck. Back into the swap pile it went.

 

However...

 

Recently, I've been combing through my discards to give last chances to scents that have had a chance to age for several months. Today was The Raven's turn:

 

Ohhhh WOW! This one is definitely meant to be aged. The violet and iris have both smoothed out their rough edges and the powderyness of the black musk has subsided a lot. Aged Raven is everything I'd hoped it would be: a soft and sleek little black dress. Instant love.

 

New favourite for me!

Edited July 27, 2008 by rawgirl75

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Faint violet and almost lilac

 

On Application

The musk starts to come through pretty quickly combining oddly wth the violet

 

Dry Down

This is dark, slick and oily which pretty much fits the concept but I find it unsettling. I think without the sandalwood I would enjoy this more. I will give it another chance after aging.

 

Rating (0-5)

2

[crebbsgirl]

This is a deep floral that I surprisingly love. I think it must be the sandalwood, musk and neroli combo with the violets. In the bottle, this was mostly violets for me, but on my skin it mellowed and was tempered by the musk. I didn't ever get the iris so much. It's a little sharper than your average floral, which is why I suspect I like this. It's a very unusual and complex scent, and thoroughly enjoyable.

[lookingglass]

This is my favorite BPAL violet. I love Sybaris, but she can be a bit too sweet sometimes. Violets that are too sweet remind me of grape lolipops and I just can't smell like that. The Raven is sweetened by ylang ylang, which is not an easy note for me to play with. However, I do love it in Skuld, and the Raven is like her purple brother. The iris is a nice "dusty purple" note that complements the violet beautifully and logicly. Woods and musks are always hit and miss with me, but here they are romantic and melancholy, rather like dimmed lights.

Edited August 29, 2008 by lookingglass