The Deserted Village

[Kimbernunk]

… Good heaven! What sorrows gloomed that parting day,
That called them from their native walks away;
When the poor exiles, every pleasure past,
Hung round their bowers and fondly looked their last,
And took a long farewell, and wished in vain
For seats like these beyond the western main;
And shuddering still to face the distant deep,
Returned and wept, and still returned to weep.
The good old sire the first prepared to go
To new-found worlds, and wept for others' woe;
But for himself, in conscious virtue brave,
He only wished for worlds beyond the grave.
His lovely daughter, lovelier in her years,
Silent went next, neglectful of her charms,
And left a lover's for a father's arms.
With louder plaints the mother spoke her woes,
And blessed the cot where every pleasure rose;
And kissed her thoughtless babes with many a tear,
And clasped them close, in sorrow doubly dear;
Whilst her fond husband strove to lend relief
In all the silent manliness of grief.

O luxury! thou cursed by heaven's decree,
How ill exchanged are things like these for thee!
How do thy potions with insidious joy
Diffuse their pleasures only to destroy!
Kingdoms, by thee to sickly greatness grown
Boast of a florid vigour not their own.
At every draught more large and large they grow,
A bloated mass of rank unwieldy woe;
Till sapped their strength and every part unsound,
Down, down they sink and spread a ruin round.

Even now the devastation has begun,
And half the business of destruction done;
Even now, methinks, as pondering here I stand,
I see the rural virtues leave the land.
Down where yon anchoring vessel spreads the sail,
That idly waiting flaps with every gale,
Downward they move, a melancholy band,
Pass from the shore and darken all the strand.
Contented toil and hospitable care,
And kind connubial tenderness are there;
And piety, with wishes placed above,
And steady loyalty and faithful love.
And thou, sweet Poetry, thou loveliest maid
Still first to fly where sensual joys invade;
Unfit, in these degenerate times of shame,
To catch the heart or strike for honest fame;
Dear charming nymph, neglected and decried,
My shame in crowds, my solitary pride;
Thou source of all my bliss and all my woe,
That found'st me poor at first and keep'st me so;
Thou guide by which the nobler arts excel,
Thou nurse of every virtue, fare thee well!
Farewell, and oh, where'er thy voice be tried,
On Torno's cliffs or Pambamarca's side,
Whether where equinoctial fervours glow,
Or winter wraps the polar world in snow,
Still let thy voice, prevailing over time,
Redress the rigours of the inclement clime;
Aid slighted truth; with thy persuasive strain
Teach erring man to spurn the rage of gain;
Teach him that states of native strength possessed,
Though very poor, may still be very blest;
That trade's proud empire hastes to swift decay,
As ocean sweeps the laboured mole away;
While self-dependent power can time defy,
As rocks resist the billows and the sky.
- OLIVER GOLDSMITH

Where wealth accumulates and men decay. A scent of opulence, luxury, depredation, and dissolusion: velvety orris root and glittering bergamot, ambergris, red currant, honey, and neroli, with red oakmoss, patchouli, labdanum, and black musk.

In bottle/wet: This is almost a single-note dirty orris root. Not what I was expecting - I really don't smell any of the other notes at all.

Dry: Heavy orris with definite hints of honey, ambergris and black musk. If I sniff really hard, I can get a little bit of something currant-like, but it's hard to pick out. No neroli or bergamot anywhere to be seen, which is interesting because neroli is usually something I amp pretty strongly. This isn't quite what I was hoping for - I was hoping for the currant and bergamot to be a bit more prominant.

This is pretty gender-neutral to me. Velvety also comes to mind - the lab is dead on with that.

All in all, this is interesting, but I don't know that I'll be reaching for it that often. Edited March 28, 2009 by Shollin

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the bottle, this sweet red currant and honey to my nose. Definitely the sweetest of the Bards scents.

 

The patchouli is very subtle in this scent, almost not there. I'm getting mostly berry and honey with this scent. As it dries, a little bit of musk.

 

Hands down my favorite of the Irish Bards scents.

[twilighteyes]

In the bottle I get ambergris, oakmoss, and a little musk.

 

On my skin, it seems fairly light and close. The black musk is much lighter than anticipated. The honey is starting to peek out and a teeny hint of fruit and citrus from the currant, neroli, and bergamot. The patchouli seems to be a sweet one.

 

Earthy and sweet.

 

Dry: The honey and fruit has come out a lot more -- this actually reminds me of Gluhwein but without the spice. Very very nice.

Edited March 15, 2009 by TwilightEyes

[Heavenlyrabbit]

User friendly patchouli in this.

 

I will fully endorse Twilight Eye's "earthy and sweet".

 

The base notes work really well with the top notes. They don't get lost. Just augmented.

 

Love the Black Musk.

 

A very wearable Chypre.

Edited March 17, 2009 by Heavenlyrabbit

[cometgirl21]

In the bottle: Patchouli and something I can't identify.

 

Wet: This smells like a cologne my pop-pop had. But it's not dark and dry, nor too masculine.

 

Dry: A soft patchouli. The currants come out a bit and what I think it's the orris root, making it a bit dry. I like this.

[tativa]

This one is going to need some aging I believe... red currant did its 'omg cloying sweet rotten birthday cake' thing on me... I can tell there is a really nice earthy background that I hope will come out with aging. But for now red currant with its mole honey have infiltrated the village and are dancing around in it spawning like rabbits. bergamont, oak moss, neroli and patcholli are hidden up in the cellar in terror at the currant honey babies domination over the village.

[binkin]

I am surprised, but this is probably my favorite of the Bards. There's a little sweetness, some honey... but it's all grounded. I don't love musks as a rule, but this is subtle. I'm curious to see what will happen to it as it ages, and tempted to order a full bottle (I only have the remnants from my decant circle). To my nose, on my skin, none of the notes overwhelms any of the others, so it's just sort of a warm deliciousness.

[GreenSpine]

This smells lovely in the bottle, grounded and sweet. Unfortunately, on my skin something turns it very sour and dank. I can see why the villagers left.

[papermaker]

In the imp this is orris root and honey. Once it hits my skin there is more honey the currant and patchouli. The orris fades into the background. There is enough patchouli in the to tame the swwetness, and enough sweetnees to make the patchouli behave and not go all dirty hippie on me. it really is a velvetty scent too.

[Dark Alice]

All I smell is orris root and something sweet. I guess it's the honey in this that is peaking through. Dry this rounds out a little more....there are hints of the red currant lurking in the background...but primarily this dries to a sweetened honey dry orris root type of scent. But I do agree with the previous reviewer...this is a very velvetly orris root. It is making my skin itch...sigh...allergic reaction abounds...must wash off.

[ami226]

Sweet and earthy!

 

On the skin: I don't normally like anything earthy, but this is actually pretty nice! I think I am happy with my imp though. It is definitely an earthy honey with no morphing as of yet.

[hkhm]

bottle: orris, neroli and oakmoss. this is unusual but very alluring.

 

wet: the orris root is pretty much the only scent here. the moss is only a feeling in the background. nonetheless, i love it.

 

dry: the orris has faded a touch but is still pretty much the only note here. which is fine.

[zankoku_zen]

Hm... I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. So, I got this sweet, dusty, flowers with a sprinkling of caramel. I found it a very warm, skin close scent. I find it very wearable, considering some of the notes in this blend have given me problems before...

[Iceblink]

Lots of earthy, musky oakmoss. The honey and currant poke through just a teeny bit as it dries, sweetening the blend--but mostly this is OAKMOSS, which means it's making me think this would be better on a man than on me. Probably will age wonderfully, though. Not very much staying power for a blend with so many heavy notes.

[sookster]

 

 

 

straight sniff from the bottle is nothing more than a sweet afterthought...

 

once applied...hmmmm....a mishmash of notes...slightly spermy smelling....

 

too bad this one just does not work at all...it sounded fantastic

 

 

[theseagrows]

when i first sniffed the imp, i wasn't sure about this one, the honey and red currant smelled a bit too sweet. thankfully, the sweetness settles down and becomes a soft, warm scent. the oaklmoss and orris soften it up and thankfully, the patchouli is non-existent or subtle. the black musk is pretty subtle in this too, so it's not as powerful as it sounds-just a soft warm musky scent. almost sort of comforting for me.

Edited April 20 by theseagrows

[aine]

Unexpectedly a soft breath of a scent.

 

Primarily orris with a little oakmoss and almost just an impression of ambergris, honey and black moss. My initial impression was that 'velvety' summed it up perfectly but now that I have worn it a couple of times, and know it better, it brings to mind a fine mohair rug - soft and light but snuggly.

 

Gentle, but present.

[freneticfloetry]

In the imp: Mostly orris, with the sweetness of ambergris.

 

Wet: Oh wow, this is exactly what walking into a Lush store smells like. A mishmash of green, organic scents that are calming and overwhelming all at once.

 

Drydown: Dries very quickly, and gets a bit powdery as it does. I've ventured into the bath bomb section of Lush.

 

Dry: Yep, I smell a bit like an AvoBath bomb had a tawdry tryst with a Think Pink, and they took an afterglow tumble through a marsh and into a giant berry bush. Kind of literally, really. It's as if I rubbed said hypothetical bomb on my arm. I keep catching a whiff and expecting to have to rub the dust off of my skin.

 

It's prettier than I expected, and somehow daintier. Lovely. Don't know that I'd wear it often, but I'm happy to have a decant.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

If my village smelt this good, I wouldn't desert it!

 

I'm getting mostly currants with a slight hint of honey, but the black musk is keeping it dark rather than sweet. I agree with a previous reviewer - this is definitely a user-friendly patchouli.. I can hardly detect it at all in this. Actually, the things I was worried about here (orris, neroli, patchouli, labdanum) are very much in the background.. but then my skin does tend to amp any berry and/or honey so maybe that's why everything else is so subdued.

 

An interesting blend, I'm not sure if it's *special* or even whether it's particularly different from other currant/honey/musk type blends that I have, I have a feeling this might develop nicely with a big of aging but at this point I'm not sure whether it's a keeper.

 

 

 

[Seismogenic]

I will admit right off that a large part of what intrigues me about this scent is the poem itself, which I had never seen before. Proud and excessive humanity probably will do itself in some day, after seeming to overwhelm the natural environment. It also is true, though, that nature will remain in some form (even if it's just rocks) long after people have wiped ourselves out. I like the cautionary message (even though it does highlight that humans really suck sometimes) and the environmental implication alike. The notes do, of course, also intrigue me quite a bit! It looks wonderfully dark and complex, and even though I'm sure the citrus will go poof, I still want to see how it works out.

 

In the imp: This somehow manages to be rich and dry at once, with a general dark sweetness. I can't pick out notes yet.

 

Wet on skin: The idea of dark sweetness still works here, though it's not quite as dry as the impression I got from the imp. I'm getting the currant and the labdanum (I think), though if I didn't know better, I'd assume there's some anise in there as well.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry is pretty much the same as wet - dark, sweet, a bit sharp, and largely homogeneous, though the labdanum in particular does stick out more. One hour in continues to be pretty much the same, and without losing much in the way of intensity, either.

 

Five hours later: Everything is fainter now, though it's still pretty present. Labdanum is still the predominant note, with a softer earthier backdrop. The musk is only a slight suggestion.

 

End of the day: Gone, for the most part. There might be a tiny bit of labdanum left if I sniff really hard.

 

Overall: This scent is making me realize that I like labdanum a lot. I also like the rest of this particular combination, even if its various citrus aspects never showed up on me. The Deserted Village is, at least on my skin, definitely related to Melainis. There's a darkness to both of them that undoubtedly comes from some shared notes. But where Melainis is comfortable and even luxuriant in thick darkness, the darker notes in The Deserted Village really are kind of like a tarnish on a scent that also has brighter and shinier elements. I think this combination of notes works really well with the poem, and I really like it.

 

[thekittenkat]

In the imp: Sweet and spicy; the oil itself is a dark maroon in colour.

 

Wet: The honey and the red currant have jumped right out! But the musk is underneath it, and also the oakmoss is giving off the woody note as a bottom note.

 

The dry-down: Some things are blending together now. But the woody oakmoss is rising to the top. There might be a slight hint of the neroli. The bergamot must be the herb and not the fruit, unless I'm mistaking the neroli note for the fruity bergamont.

 

 

I tried this earlier, and got some violets from the orris root, but this time I'm being attacked by the honey and the red currant. Strangely enough this may be too sweet for me. I'm beginning to think that I might like honey musk, but not honey, but it may be too soon to tell.

 

The Deserted Village is nice enough, but I'll have to think about it. Probably not bottle-worthy.

[rayvn1]

This is the standout surprise hit of the Bards for me I love every note listed but was a little worried about the honey amping on me as it usually does. I shouldn't have worried! This is the masculine counterpart to Marianne on me. Deep, dark currant with a rich sweetness in the background from the honey and a large dose of musk and patchouli. A deep red scent that is as velvety as the description states. Kinda smells like sex, in fact Insanely sexy, dark blend. One of my new favorites and I'm rushing off to buy a bottle because this decant isn't nearly enough!

[marared]

This started out as honey and patchouli, which was nice - I usually can't go wrong with patchouli. Shortly thereafter there was a little bit of soap in the background, which probably is the orris root. No florals, no fruit, no musk. After a few minutes, the soap gets stronger and ... vaguely ammoniac now. Ick. Strike that one off the wishlist...

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Dark golden-brown oil. Extremely rooty, earthy, resiny, and dark. Patchouli galore (the dirty-rooty kind), orris, red oakmoss (presumably, doesn't smell like regular oakmoss).

 

Wet: Lighter, more citrusy. Bergamot makes a huge showing, followed by neroli, juicy-tart currant, and a little golden honey. Reminds me a bit of Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Tons of labdanum and ambegris, too.

 

Dry: Orris (velvety indeed, also sneezily powdery) is taking over, as it often does. The black musk emerges and it's gorgeous and strong, but it can't compete with the horrors of orris, or the soil-drenched patchouli.

 

Summary: Amazing red currant-bergamot combo sweetened by honey and black musk...totally ruined by the rooty/earthy/powdery notes. Stinkbombed village? Strong throw.

 

 

 

[Mishinka]

Very nice! It's very herbal in the bottle, but it's a summer night smell when I put it on. I get a lot of incensey smell that must be the ambergris, and a touch of citrus from the bergamot, but otherwise this is a very deep, dark floral. I don't smell the honey or currant, and only the slightest bit of patchouli (that's good, though. I don't care for patchouli) or oakmoss to give it a bit of earthiness. The honey comes out a little after a while, and I'm even starting to pick up a little bit of spiciness from someplace after it's been dry for a while. Right now it's kind of soapy, but I just washed my hands, so I might be smelling actual soap. This one's pretty!