Yemayá

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Ooh, sweet, and maybe fruity? Not a familiar fruit, but that same kind of sweetness as fruit.

 

Just On: This would be a yellow green color. It's got something that smells like fruit, and a bit of sweetness, and there are scents wafting in and out and changing it even as I sniff.

 

An hour or two later: Yeah, fruit is definitely on my mind when I sniff this. I get fairly bright colors out of this, like bright fruits. I'm adoring this scent.

 

Around 6 hours: Imagine one of those shudders when you just love something you are smelling, and then repeat it. I'm doing that. It's wonderfully sweet.

 

12 hours: Well, it faded away, and I miss it terribly.

 

Overall: I'll be hoarding this one, thankyouverymuch. It has slammed into my top ten. This is a comforting scent, and it makes me feel really happy just smelling it. It's similar to Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo in that respect, though the scents aren't necessarily that similar. And, according to my limited knowledge, she is associated with Isis... who does have a tendency to peek into my life every so often.

 

After reading other reviews: Wow, comforting fits perfectly apparently. I really didn't know much beyond her being associated with Isis, but I'm inspired to take a further look around now. This scent is one I am most definitely going to get more of.

[Glitzie]

In the bottle

Watermelon, I'm not usually very good at picking out notes. However this is like sticking your head into a watermelon- I kid you not!!

 

On the skin

Wet- Still watermelon, which makes me very happy. Often scents are lovely in the bottle and then change once they hit me!

 

On the drydown

Yes still regaining it's watermelon juicyness, but there is something else there aswell now. No idea what it is, kind of a light breezy floral.

 

Dry- I still get a bit of Watermelon which I am ecstatic about. This is a perfect scent for a very hot day like today. Gorgeous in it's simplicity, I just wonder how I'm going to replace the bottle when it is all gone......

 

The only downside to this is that it fades quite quickly, but is wonderfully refreshing.

9/10 from me

[summer]

*slurp*

 

Yemaya is a lovely watery melon scent that's very light and refreshing and gets slightly boozy on the drydown.

 

I love it; it's the perfect summer scent and is powerfully associated in my mind with California and with my first trip to Black Broom.

 

ETA: I have been using Yemaya a lot recently as a way to focus my energy and intentions on fertility and conception. I have mixed some with a pure shea oil, and I spread this mixture on my body after bathing. It feels very nurturing. I also use it to anoint candles in my bedroom. I have a gorgeous picture of Yemaya -- a beautiful, voluptuous black woman with long braids, pregnant with the Earth -- and whenever I use this oil, I think of her -- Mother Yemaya -- and focus on channeling her energy. The sweet, watery scent of this oil has become powerfully associated with that visual image of Yemaya in my mind.

Edited April 18, 2006 by summer

[cuervosueno]

A little more about Yemaya from the following website: http://www.inharmsway.net/gods/yemaya.html

 

Yemaya "rules the sea, the Moon, dreams, deep secrets, sea shells, ancient wisdom, salt water, fresh water, ocean secrets, the collective unconscious, and the surface of the ocean, seas, and lakes. Her many titles include Queen of Witches, Mother of Fishes, The Constantly Coming Woman, The Ocean Mother, Mother of Dreams and Secrets, Mother of All, Mother of the Sea, Holy Queen Sea, The Womb of Creation, Mother of Pearl, Stella Maris (star of the sea), and Yeyé Omo Eja, Mother Whose Children Are the Fish.

 

Invoke Yemaya for blessings, compassion, wisdom, fertility, creation, riches, inspiration, motherhood, female power, natural wealth, love spells, wish magic, sea spells, fertility rituals, water magic, women's issues, having children, sustaining life, washing away sorrow, revealing mysteries, acquiring ancient wisdom, protecting the home, learning not to give your power away, and comforting children in crisis. Invoke her as Erzulie for beauty, good fortune, and good health. Invoke her as Yemoja to cure infertility, as Yemana for rain, as Emanjah for teaching children, as Yemaya Olokun for dream magic and protecting babies in the womb; and as Yemaya Ataramagwa for money spells. Invoke Yemaya as Agwe for affection and blessings.

 

Yams, grain, soap, perfume, jewelry, and fabric are all traditional offerings to Yemaya, thrown into the sea. Rams are also sacrificed to her.  Wear pearls or crystal beads to invoke her. To ask Yemaya to grant a wish or bestow a blessing, write her a letter and cast it into the sea. "

 

I got to smell this courtesy of the Yemaya circle, and it's lovely. I didn't expect to like it from the reviews, but I did.

 

My reaction is similiar to Byrdie's. Wet, it get a melony scent, but it wasn't watermelon, and I wasn't convinced it was honeydew. It smelled pink, as others note. Finally I settled on Mango (though of course I could be wrong!)

 

The mango smell predominates, but it is not overpowering and there is a touch of sweetness that could be a floral. I don't like acquatics, so I worried about that, but I don't get that note either--just a hint. What is most like for me is drinking a fruit drink on the beach--the sea notes are just a whiff on the breeze.

 

What surprised me was about an hour later when I moved my arm I'd get a faint whiff of incense. I kept wondering what it was, because when I sniffed my wrist, Yemaya was still beach and mango. But sure enough, there is a very faint note of incense as well, which seems suitable since she is in Orisha--hence an incense offering.

 

I also felt very calm and centered wearing this, and yes, protected. Which is not a surprise since all of Beth's TAL blends really work well.

 

Final image brought up by Yemaya--walking past an outdoor altar near a beach. I get a scent of the fruit left out for an offering, the incense wafting up to the sky, and the air itself is sweet with tropical flowers and sea spray.

 

Lovely! I'm delighted I got to try it.

[Red_Hot_Mama]

I was lucky enough to get to try Yemaya, thanks to the circular swap. This is a wonderfully refreshing, complex blend.

Yemaya smells primarily of watermelon but with so much more!

This is an empowering blend, grounding, strengthing and ultra feminine. Now that I've tried it, I NEED to get a bottle for me & one for my sister. There were five females in my house when this bottle arrived and every single one of them LOVED Yemaya...just from sniffing the bottle!

Congratulations Beth! Fantastic!

[Ajila]

Wet on this it was watermelon, pure and simple, dry it was strawberries, with no recognisable switch in between the two. I almost wish that the weather hadn't gotten freasher in the last couple of days, because this would have been perfect in the hot sticky weather we've been having.

[tesao]

Iemanjá seleodô babaoromiô Iemanjá eleissaéo babaoromiô

 

Iemanjá pase que pasejo aelemanjá sessum orun ao aebalva aoxum dipéo ebabaoromiô

 

Amaquere quere eoese

 

Anareuá

 

i am a child of Iemanjá. to honour her, i used a tiny bit of this oil to annoint myself this morning, at my altar. i asked her, the Ocean, the Mother of us all, to watch after my mamãe.

 

i was lucky enough to try this courtesy of the Iemanjá swap circle. if i am luckier still, i will be able to procure a bottle for ritual use only.

 

upon first sniff, i was reminded instantly of water. aquatic scents. mingled with a tropical fruit -- mango, or papaya. the next sensation i felt was Her Power. racing along my spine, down my arms, into my fingertips.

 

i prayed to Her, to my Mother. and i felt Her Comfort.

 

i know that beth takes extra care and time and ritual with the TAL oils. it shows. and you can absolutely FEEL it. obrigada, beth. thank you.

Edited July 30, 2005 by tesao

[QueenFae]

Of course I have fallen madly in love with this one because I'll probably never be able to get a bottle! It's awesome for a foody like me; strong ripe berries and melon, almost like a watermelon jolly rancher. A lovely sweet, juicy undertone of cantaloupe or strawberries ar something equally as decadent. Oh, the tragedy of BPAL, how I long for a 5 ml, I will cherish my imp! This is one of my favorite scents ever. Bravo Beth, you rock!

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: This smells very heavily of strawberries, maybe some watermelon. Watermelon jolly ranchers! That's what this is.

On me: It's still a jolly rancher - this is definitely the best TAL blend I've come across so far.

[wickedgoddess]

Wet - Watermelon and aqautics.

 

Dry - while I am not much of a fruit fan (unless of course it's coconut, apples or pumpkin) I find this very lovely. The combination of the watery fruit with the aquatic scent is both beautiful and comforting. Out of all the Orishas, Yemaya is the one I identify with the most, because of her associations with motherhood, the moon and water (I am a water sign). To paraphrase Neil Finn, this is like water on a burning beach, it brings relief. It reminds me of Oshun, which was fruit and rose wheras this is fruit and aquatics. It is similiar and yet different in the same way that Yemaya and Oshun are different. This is a perfect summertime blend, and one I very probably will get a bottle of, when summer rolls around again. Maybe sooner. Initially the throw was good, and here I am 7 hour later, and I can still sniff my wrist and smell a bit of this, which is VERY unusual on me.

 

Edit - I am trying this for a second time and I am in love with this and need to get a bottle as soon as possible. So lovely and calming.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5.

Edited September 14, 2005 by wickedgoddess

[joseybird]

Watermelon like the way watermelon candy SHOULD smell

 

Late into the drydown I can detect a little mango and papaya.

 

Omg this is incredible!!

[sihaya09]

Melon. Sweet, juicy, midsummer melon. Very pink and feminine, with a strong saltwater note that is both unexpected yet completely in tune with what I experience as Yemaya's energies. This makes me think of love and friendship-- strong bonds between women and the sweetness of early love. I really enjoy this both as a scent and as a ritual blend. I would very much like to purchase a bottle if ever it were available.

[quimerula]

Very, very fruity!

 

I can smell mango, pineaple and plum. It's a Tropical fiesta!

[aidenraine]

I used to work at an ice cream store that sold honeydew melon ice cream, and this smells just like that tastes. I definitely get the hint of strawberry as well. Wet this is all fruity cheeriness, and I wasn't expecting that at all!

 

I feel myself getting cheerful just sniffing it, and am wondering if the magical properties of this are to uplift the mood.

 

(God, I would have expected to hate something so fruity, but I don't, oddly enough)

 

It's kinda morphing into watermelon bubblegum on me. Maybe halfway between that and fruit punch. Lush's Angel's Delight soap.

 

And that's where it stayed, even after a few hours. :>

[allidavie]

I don't know if anyone's seen it, but in the movie "Woman on Top" the main character makes several offerings to (what I know now) is the brazilian interpretation of Yemaya - she floats fruits and candles in a vessel and watches them go out to sea, and while I'm probably forgetting the details, that scene has always stuck with me. It was so beautiful and though I'm not a believer in any specific religion, that scene made me want to be.

 

A few years ago when I lived in New Orleans I was really drawn to a mini-altar made by a local voodoo practitioner. I bought it mainly because I loved it as a piece of art, but I now realize that it was an altar to Yemaya.

 

All of which makes sense, I guess, as I'm a very ocean-centered person. My work and many of my interests all center around the ocean, and I think that my attraction to Yemaya may not be coincidental. But even so, I expected this oil not to work on me, as no fruity BPAL has really ever worked for me. I was so wrong - this is just a beautiful interpretation of the sea and a kind of ocean-centered energy. It makes me hopeful and happy, and I can't think of a better way to honor Yemaya. (Oh yeah, and I guess I should describe how it smells - true watermelon, as in, how watermelon actually smells, mixed with salt water and sun. It is wonderful.)

[slave1]

This scent is a beautiful bright green honeydew. So juicy and strong it is a bit overwhelming. Of course, melon is one of my favorite scents so this one is perfect for me. Very spring/summer like, a bit odd to wear in November that’s for sure. There seems to be a bit of a floral in the background… maybe honeysuckle or something sweet like that. This scent is so beautiful and calming… I can’t imagine anyone not liking the comfort it brings. As it dries, it does change a bit… it gets a little darker and bit less sweet… Hmmm… not likeing the drydown stage as much…

[Northernminx]

Fruity sweet, honeydew melon and a touch of ..maybe mango or watermelon. It's gorgeous, ripe, lush, fruity and exactly what one would expect for a goddess representing fertility. This is wonderful and I absolutely adore the scent.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Melon… bright fresh juicy melon.

 

Wearing: Fruity green melon. That’s about all I can say, but I like.

[Cat]

Stunning!

 

I am a huge fan of Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, and this is like a less-bakey version of that. ACJM can occassionally be too sickly sweet if I'm not in the right mood for it, but this is a lighter, fresher more aquatic version, if you see what I mean?

 

I get what everyone else says about the watermelon, but as it is drying down my skin is absolutely amping up a red fruity berry scent. All the time remaining aquatic too! There is the tartness of the melon underneath still, which is what I think stops it from getting sickly.

 

This is THE perfect summer day scent. Perfect for those days when you want to feel carefree and happy.

 

I have no idea what this oil is supposed to do, but it makes me smile - that is enough

[GemmaCat]

OMG, I love this!!

 

This is a rich, true melon, so juicy and sweet, with a soft floral drydown. Florals usually don't work on me but these are so soft, gentle, and sweet that they blend perfectly with the melon scent.

 

Soooo good!

[edenssixthday]

Yemaya - I love it! It is green honeydew melon on me - fresh, clean, bright, and refreshing. I don’t smell any of the aquatic notes that many other users have noted, but a couple hours after applying it, it gains an undertone of something thick and resinous – as with my experience with White Light, it’s hard to describe. Fortunately, with Yemaya, it doesn’t turn me off, and not long afterward, the scent fades away. It’s gorgeous and while I don’t think I’ll track down more due to the fact that I don't foresee needing it for magical or ritual use.

[Little Bird]

On me, this TAL Yemayá starts off smelling like watery aquatic notes mingling with mango and honeydew melon. Aquatics usually smell sharp and soapy on me (yay dryer sheets), but this is a lovely watery smell. Watery in the way that cucumbers smell.

 

In the drydown, this starts to get a lot sweeter on me. It begins to remind me of watermelon jolly ranchers, with a twist of tart strawberry. Somehow it still has a sort of fresh feeling though, keeping it from being too artificially fruity or overwhelmingly sweet.

 

I like this one.

[macabre_fae]

TAL Yemaya is heavenly . It's a blend of breezy berries and tropical fruits, like luscious melons and a slight aquatic breeze to it. I invision walking barefoot in the sand on a breezy beautiful beach in the middle of summer eating a juicy ripe piece of watermelon. On that note, does anyone have the original description of yemaya? I don't know if it is a discontinued or what because I can't find it on the TAL page .

Edited February 13, 2007 by macabre_fae

[dawndie]

As a scent, this is lots of green melon with an extra green herbal something underneath. Long-lasting and great for summer.

 

The last time I used it with a purpose was job-hunting in November and December. I had 4 different interviews and wore Yemaya every time. I was confident in my qualifications, but I needed to project that confidence. I ended up returning to a previous job, plus they offered me a raise over what I was making when I left!

[myoubi]

I'm reviewing this blend based mostly on scent, since I'm not using it in ritual work and thus am not sure what I ought to expect, effect-wise.

 

Scent: In the imp, this is a sweet, fresh, almost candyish melon, quite powerful at first. I can't smell anything else. On my skin, the melon mellows (whee!) and for a moment i get an almost spicy note. It retains its sugary quality as it dries. There's something other than melon in there grounding the scent, and it's definately aquatic in character, but it's not at all peppery or jarring. This is a sweet, bright, dewy melon that dries down to a sweet, gentle, sugary melon.

 

I don't usually like fruit scents, but this one is lurrrve.