The Raven

[Ina Garten Davita]

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

First Impression: Violets, they're always first to jump out at me.

Second Impression: Violet scents can be hit or miss with me. I tend not to like them with the exception of Veil and Les Serpent, which I love. I like this one as the violets are kept in check by the other florals, woods and musk.


Final Analysis: The Raven is a nice violet blend, the violets are well tempered by the woods and musk. It's a very sweet, as violets tend to be but it's not as dark as the name suggests.

[tart]

This was a dusty, powdery, bluish-purple scent. I discovered that I personally dislike violets -- they're a bit too strong for me to handle, but on the plus side, The Raven had good lasting power. I liked Sybaris a bit better than this one.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Powdery floral. Maybe it’ll improve on my skin…

 

Wearing: The initial burst reminds me of Queen Gertrude. It amuses me that the thing that scared me away from The Raven for so long was the musk… I never thought I’d have a problem with the flowers, but this is decidedly old-ladyish on me.

[Miggins]

This was a gift from xochitl. She's so lovely - how could I dislike a scent that she gave me?

 

First on, The Raven is pure violet. I fully expected the blend to warp into a very masculine scent as Le Serpent Qui Danse did, but thankfullly, no. The violet smelled like a violet perfume I used to buy in Cornwall as a child and something else - oh heavenly! Cosmetics-To-Go's Violet Nights range (so sadly missed). Beautiful. After a few hours, the musk was much more prominent and changed the whole blend from something quite wistful, to something much more joyous. I'm not overly good on picking out notes, but I know that I like The Raven.

 

Just for fun, the mental image I got after it had dried down was the same colours as Darkswan's Blackberry Apple soap (thank you, AlectoNox!) - rich purple and cream all swirled together with gold.

 

It's not a lasting blend on me (around 4 hours), but I kept getting whiffs of it and thinking, what is that lovely smell? Gorgeous.

Edited November 21, 2004 by Miggins

[malati]

All I got from this was musk, musk and more musk, alternating between a light powdery musk and a heavier heady musk. It also irritated my skin so I had to wash it off after less than an hour and didn't get to see if anything else came through.

 

This is the first scent that's been a complete thumbs down for me.

[northern]

This has become one of my favourites. Violets, with something fiercer behind it. I associate it with twilight.

[alston78]

In the bottle: Very soapy floral smell. I don't think what I'm smelling is violet- perhaps it's the iris? I'm not familiar with iris as a single note, so I'm not sure.

 

On my wrist: Oh, MUCH better. The violet (which I happen to like) comes out almost immediately, with the sandalwood backing it up in a nice way. I think this is the first time I really experienced mental imagery with one of these oils- or at least this quickly- just a shiny black, smooth, quiet, elegant, mysterious. Not ominous, though, like the poem- just quiet.

After about an hour something (the violet? the musk?) turned powdery on me. It's the rare powdery scent that I like, though. The Raven becomes very soft and sweet and gentle, and maybe a bit wistful about something. It reminds me very much of some violet bath cubes and lotion I had a long time ago- can't remember the brand.

It's been about 2.5 hours now- The Raven has faded to a sweeter smell which is definitely musky and spicy. It's still powdery, but I don't care. I love every stage of this! It's fading faster on me than most of the BPAL oils, but I'll gladly reapply. I might have to get a 5mL of this on my next order, as I'd love to wear this and try to make some bath goodies with it, too!

[cookie]

The violet here is very nicely balanced by the other notes. Its floral without being floral. Its sweet but not sweet. Its bright and dark. Sorry to be so vague - but its just a very polite smell. Doesn't push any particular category. Ever once in a while I get soap - but not a bad way, just in a clean and friendly granny way. This isn't a strong scent, so I find myself lifting my arm to smell it often.

[shelldoo]

Today is the day that I tried scents that smelled completely like I didn't expect them too

 

In the bottle very very floral

 

wet: violets

 

drydown: violets and more violets w/ some iris in the background. I am still waiting for other notes to show.

 

Final thoughts: If it stays this floral I will probably trade it. I think it is a gorgeous scent I just prefer more of a resiny, incense, heavy, dark smell

 

ADDED Feb. 21

 

ok, big deep breath

 

i have had almost every violet smell go very bad perm solution on me...so i have been avoiding violet notes, then i found my love sybaris....well now i try the raven.... it is kinda like sybaris but a bit edgier....there is a darkness that is polar opposite of the lightness of sybaris yet the similiarity is strong, i may use this when i am feeling darker but i definitely will use it

[Theravada]

Unfortunately, all I got from this one was soapy violets. Sad, because I'm usually a fan of musks, but not entirely unexpected because I don't really like florals.

[Caitfish]

In the bottle and on initially, this smells just like violet pastiches! A very dead-on violet. It's a scent that I actually like. On, this develops from mostly violet into a softer scent, rounded out by the musk. Luckily, the sandalwood remains fairly tame (which is a blessing for me) and I never get any Iris, unfortunately.

 

Overall, I adore this blend. It's soft, feminine and nice. You have to *love* the scent of voilets to like this blend, but if you do - you will!

[Unseelie]

The Raven; in the vial - VIOLETS, green crispy, nose-hair singing VIOLET. more of the violet leaf oil than the violet blossom smell, strong and vital, and less floaty floral. Not sweet at all, tangy if anything.

 

On Wet: Ja, most definitely and without a doubt VIOLETS. If Evita was a violet, this is the Evita of violet scents so far {You must love ME, she's belting out}.

Drying: The sandalwood is giving the violet an interesting turn. It's remaining a green-Violet oil scent, and something in my brain has got "boyscent" on repeat. As in, this is for me to wear as a boy, or this is to give to boys who need to smell like violet. i'm not sure what the component is that smells like "commercial boy product" but there's a sense of it here. "Boyscent," my brain would like me to add, or "Girl-stealing-Boyscent" if you're wired that way.

 

30 mins: The violet is calmer, the whole scent is warmer, but still green-evoking. It's spicy only in a "commercial" scent way, but i know i'd never find a blend like this commerically, i suspect my body has eaten the musk and is hiding it away. It's a very clean scent, a masculine violet, and not at all sweet. I think this has the potential to go very soapy, and probably will on me at some point, though today it's holding at merely very green.

 

i've got an insane insight about this scent: i bet it smells MARVELOUS when the imp or bottle has aged a month or two, and the blend is complete, and some of the harshness of the violet fades back. hn.. i bet it's astonishing given time.. *tucks the imp away in a drawer for later finding*.

 

i've ordered a 5ml, so i'm going to decant for my brother as planned, then hide BOTH of the bottles away for a month or so before sending his out and taking my bit to smear on the mate & myself.

 

comparison time! i pull out the Saturnalia to give them a side-by-side, see what notes pop. Saturnalia is velvet & vetivert. open the bottle and PEANUTS. o_O The Raven is violet from the get go. let a dab of Saturnalia dry and going back and forth; the Saturnalia is staying greener and more vegetatively harsh, The Raven's smoothness is more apparent, gentle musk and body-heat in it. Saturnalia winds up violetflower floral, The Raven a manscenty, more complex blend, *almost* sweet by comparison.

 

30 mins later - Saturnalia is still wafting strongly violets. And it was just a DAB-dot on the back of one wrist. o_O The Raven is not wafting at all, it was smeared on wetly and rolled between insides of both wrists. i'd think it were gone, but sniffing right at the site reveals sandalwoody faint delicate musk.

Edited January 15, 2005 by Unseelie

[stardreamer]

Not much to say about this one. It's floral -- sort of a soapy floral; I don't get any sandalwood or musk at all, and wouldn't describe it as dark. R. labeled it "floral soap" too. Not unpleasant, just not a scent that appeals to me. To the swap pile it goes!

[phaedrine]

I usually avoid violets, they make my nose itch, so I wouldn't have ordered this on my own. It came as a freebie in a swap, though, so I figured I'd give it a try.

 

In the bottle, it was a sweet, pleasant floral, so I dabbed some on and sat and waited.

 

For the first half hour or so, it was just like it was in the bottle, a pleasant floral.

 

After that, I think the violets took over with a vengenace, because it became very, very soapy on me. I ended up washing it off before it could make my nose itch.

 

Another floral for someone else to love...

[UltraViolet]

The Raven

It would smell very fresh and green were it not for that underlying rotting celery note that is.

Oh man! My nose is turning this into something not too good at all.

I tried to like it too. I gave it like 5 chances, it's just not for me.

[mmcfa2]

I didn't get dark or ominous. This one is sweet violets with a touch of something else, lilac or iris? The scent is nicely grounded and actually reminds me of either a very feminine grandmother or a little girl in a sweet lace and satin dress. This is Easter and light and girliness. Very Fine scent but very much not me. I prefer slightly darker sexier scents. Thanks lab for the sniff though!!

 

One very nice thing about this scent, It does NOT confuse my nose as many scents do. It simply IS what it IS and in a very nice way. Soft, simple and sweet (as in kind, not as in sugar).

 

Edit, not only did I decide to keep the imp I ordered a bottle! The nostalgia pull was just too strong, reminding me of violet sweets and my grandmother ( in a fabulous way!) I will wear this one just for me when I want to feel girlish and safe, when I want to play dress-up and loot through her jewelry box again It is NOT the smell of her ( she always wore norrell) it is the MEMORY of her home and the joy I had there.

Edited March 9, 2005 by mmcfa2

[Racecar Gibson]

In the bottle: Oh so that's what violets smell like. Very sweet floral..with a sharp yet musky bite that I'm not sure I'll like.

 

I was so unsure that I'd deal well with this scent that I "inflicted" it on my poor unsuspecting 4 year old son. Oh! It really is perfect for him, at this age. The sandalwood makes the violet sweetness dry and a little spicy. Like the best baby powder ever is how I described it. It is still floral which is usually a big no for me (I admit, I got it for the name and because sandalwood was listed too) but it morphs into such a nice sweet-incensy powder!

 

And it reacts the same with me as on my son. I admit, however, I smell it as a (my!) little boy's scent now whenever I catch a whiff.

 

**Edited to add that this is now what we use as a room spray. I love the smell but it isn't an "everyday me" scent so this makes very good use of it! I've got more Raven on the way!

Edited March 11, 2005 by Racecar Gibson

[surf-tormented]

It's really clean on me. A very clean floral. Nice. This would be a great work scent for me.

[Splendid Molerat]

Ravens are said to mate for life, which adds some poignancy to the Poe piece: a flying creature brought down to earth, wearing the colors of a widower for the rest of it's days.

 

The violets and iris together are a glossy purple-black, and the sandalwood is like a shadow.

 

The neroli pops out, incongruously bright, which sort of fits the profile of the Raven as clever and mischievous.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This one sounds a bit confusing to me. I think dark and maybe dusty when I think of this one's namesake, but the description sounds very light and almost springtime-like.

 

First sniff:

 

Yep, definitely light and flowery. I smell powdery violets and a bit of sandalwood and iris. I don't get any of the musk or neroli yet and if I'm lucky the neroli won't make an appearance at all since it hates me and I hate it. Right now I don't see this being me. I can't smell violets without thinking of violet mints and I don't want to smell like them, to be honest.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Aha, The Raven has pulled a quick change on me. The musk has come out somewhat and (unfortunately) the neroli is putting in an appearance, too. It's much darker and less flowery than before, but it's still not a dark scent by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Dry down:

 

Neroli and baby powder, which is most likely the violets which tend to go quite overzealously powdery on me. This is definitely not me. At all.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really didn't think this would be for me, so it's not really a disappointment that I don't like it. I'm glad I got to give it a shot, though.

[thespring]

After trying this oil I realize now that I like orris more than violets.

 

I was afraid the neroli wouldn't show on me since violets are so strong but it did and it gives the fragrance a lighter note.

 

I loved Le Serpent qui Danse and these two do share a common violet but Le Serpent has more character.

 

I was also afraid of the celery note some reviewers were talking about but thankfully I don't get it.

 

Celery is the stench of evil!

Edited April 7, 2005 by thespring

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- baby powdery violet

 

After 15 minutes- Do Ravens smell of babies bums? This one is all baby powder on me.

 

Summery- Sorry Mr. Raven, you are getting swapped.

[quimerula]

This is not a dark blend at all!

 

Wet it's violet and neroli over the iris; soft, white, powdery and dry iris, green and sweet violet and the perfect, lovely and light citrusy neroli.

Sandalwood and musk make a nice bottom line without overwhelming the flowers.

 

Lovely, light and almost bright.

[joseybird]

The violet and sandalwood are indeed strong: very clean and fresh (reminds me of Aveda shampoo!) but not soapy. The neroli gives it a dark, slightly sharp edge, and the musk is...well...musk

 

I picture a dark shadow of forboding sweeping over a sickroom on a foggy, wet English morning.

[Muppetk]

Hoo does this one not agree with me.

 

First impression: overwhelming strong something.

 

A few mintues later it's sorted itself out into a cross between deorderant and diaper cream with a hint of shampoo. I'm guessing this is the neroli. I tried a friend's Neroli EO from bath & body works the other day and was smacked with the smell of diaper cream.

 

Later: Now it smells of aftershave. Less obnoxious, but still, *so* not for me.