Thanatopsis

[taramarie]

A meditation upon death. Inspired by William Cullen Bryant’s poem. A deep, solemn earthen scent containing pine, juniper and musk.

Wet on my skin, Thanatopsis is pine, a little juniper, myrrh, and musk. Dry, the myrrh is gone and the juniper is barely there, but the pine and musk go very well together. This is a neutral scent and very sexy. I may need a bottle of this.

[Wwindy]

Is there myrrh in this? My skin seems to think there is... I got a few minutes of a very fresh, natural forest-y pine tempered with a little sweetness before it died back to a stale, old-perfumey smell.

 

I may try this in a locket or on fabric, because it showed signs of being quite nice before my chemistry trampled it!

[waternight]

In the imp: Sweet musk with juniper on top.

Wet: First on, juniper and pine! The musk, which I'm pretty sure is black musk, provides a thick, powdery-sweet base. For a few minutes I get whiffs of what almost smells like eucalyptus.

Dry: Damn you, black musk! While I had a feeling that the listed musk note would be black musk, I'm still disappointed. Black musk turns into powerfully strong, sickly sweet powder on me, and this is no exception. I really liked the pine/juniper blend, but the black musk takes over.

[hkhm]

imp: pine, juniper and musk. yup, i've aready added this one to my to-buy bottle list.

 

wet: very piney, and very junipery with a nice undertone of musk. this is such a yes.

 

dry: this dries to the best juniper and musk scent ever! ever!

[savage_rose]

This smells like Snake Oil and pine on me...I can't decide if it smells more like a cleaner, or more like a soft, sexy scent (the two concepts don't seem to go together all that well ).

 

Currently the cleaner smell is winning...evidently my skin amps woodsy notes. Greaaat.

[alsatia]

Expectations: This might not be too bad, so long as the musk is light and the pine isn't too strong.

 

In vial: On first sniff, it was soft and musky. Then some light fresh pine and juniper drifted in.

 

On skin, wet: Whoa, way too much pine. It's not just a cleanser, it also nearly made me sneeze.

 

On skin, dry: The pine is calming down a bit. It's still too strong, but if it fades a little more soon then this won't be a bad scent.

 

After time: After 20 minutes, the pine is still a smidge too strong if I sniff my wrist directly, but the scent wafting around me is gorgeous. The soft musk from the wet oil is back, and it's enhanced by just the right amount of pine and juniper.

 

Conclusion: Not my perfect pine blend (I'm picky about pine), but it's nice enough that I'll keep it around until I find one I like more.

 

[Edited to fix formatting error.]

Edited April 12, 2008 by Alsatia

[GeorgeJr]

This is one of the first 3 bottles I ordered . And it is easily my current favorite out of the bottles & the 6 frimps that came with them . I won't write this like a normal review , as I don't feel I can do it justice . I feel I don't have the best nose for doing reviews , to be quite honest . I tend to have a lot of sinus / allergy problems through out the year .

That being said , I freaking love this scent . This scent to me is empowerment . I love pine & I love the smell of the herbs in the mix . I assume the other thing I'm getting from it is the musk . All I know is I put this on & I feel like a sexual being , which for me is a rare occasion to be sure . It just really amps up my ego I guess .

So , besides saying that , it is a long lasting scent with a strong throw . It is a pretty deep , dark scent . One I would recommend to most any guy who is afraid of trying such things . Not sure how it would go on a lady , but would love to find out

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Sweet pine, juniper & other evergreens. Black musk, maybe?

 

Wet: More mentholic and strongly woodsy, less sweet & musky - though I like that the sweetness comes from musk, not the pine. Nothing bulies.

 

Dry: This reminds me greatly of a pine body wash I had once from Crabtree & Evelyn, in a good way. Manly camping scent, and much nicer than I expected.

 

Later: More juniper and sweet black musk over time, with a slightly citrusy edge that suggests cypress. I also get an earthy moss note, and smoky dark edge.

 

Summary: Sweet, rich black musk with light pine, juniper, cypress and oakmoss. Clean, deep, and earthy without a distinct soil note. Masculine. Decent throw but fades quickly.

Edited June 21, 2009 by fairnymph

[penemuel]

I got this as a frimp with a purchase, and in the vial it's rather piney with a hint of (ew) vetiver. However, on my skin it turns into something deliciously dark and resiny/musky, and reminds me of Minotaur. I've managed to find 4 bottles of Minotaur so far, but if I use them up and need a replacement, a bottle of this might be a good idea. Mmmmm...

[VioletChaos]

in the imp: heavy Smut-like musk, and juniper.

 

wet on skin: the pine enters the equation, which is balancing it out a bit, actually.

 

dry down: a soft musk emerges, sweetened by the pine.

 

in all: a late autumnal scent, i would wear this one pumpkin picking- with my sweetie, NOT my little sister.

 

 

[eatingthesea]

oh my. me likey this death stuff. there are so few funereal oils (i'm still stuck on that category name!) that i've tried. they all seem to require a large serving of balls to pull off, so i approach them somewhat tentatively. i wasn't too sure about the ingredient listing for thanatopsis. i've only recently begun to experiment with BPAL pine blends, starting with illustrated woman, and the results had been promising thus far. but pine AND juniper? and then just the musk? it sounded much too foresty for my tastes. but ohhh does this musk in this scent really turn a graceful, sexy leg! without the musk, this one would be solidly unwearable for me - maybe good for sniffins only - but with it, it turns into an "arsenal oil" - the type you want to hoard away for those occasions when you want to wriggle your toosh in anticipation of a great pounce upon your object of affection...lust...what have you. but it's not an uppity scent by any means. it's dark, a bit smoldering, definitely seductive (though not overtly sensual, e.g. Smut). and best of all, not 100% pine. it's very well-balanced. i will spend some more quality time with thanatopsis. must determine whether i have enough girl-balls to go for a bottle, though i do believe the imp will not last terribly long, and much sadness will ensue once it disappears

Edited August 25, 2008 by eatingthesea

[Mamacat]

Wow!!! I almost didn't test this frimp! (thanks labbies!)

 

Wowwwowowowow! evergreens and musk. It smells like red musk to me and I LIKE IT!!!! It's like a cross between Old Moon and Scherezade. On my 5ml list within 5 minutes of testing.

[plunderparlour]

i honestly tested this and Black Forest twice and both times smell like care freshener tree thing people hang around their mirrors. As i've said, pine and i don't get along.

[Iceblink]

The musk in this is amazing! Wafting over that I get pine and juniper so it's like...musky trees. Sexy in a green kind of way. This has HUGE throw and lasts a long time.

[Champagne]

The pine is rond and sweet and the musk a deadly sexy note> Over all a scent evocating forests and nights and secrets. I love his sweet greeness

[zankoku_zen]

Oddly enough, I don't get pine from this. It's a musky gin/dark musk when applied. Pretty dark. And then it dries to a very neat resinous blend. Unfortunately, it doesn't last more than three hours on me. Ah well.

[crebbsgirl]

This went on a little Pine-Sol-y at first. But as it started to dry, the musk came out. This ventures into the cologne territory, but never actually makes it there. It ends up being a spicy wood blend, which I am surprised to say, but I actually enjoy. I'm normally a fan of softer, rounder, creamier, warmer blends, but this is quite enjoyable.

[blacklacestatic]

While I can appreciate this scent for what it is, it's really not a "me" scent. I'm definitely not a fan of pine, which is the first thing that jumps out at me both in the imp and on my skin. It settles in a little bit eventually, but for the most part I just get a deep, dark pinewood scent. There is something faintly sweet in the back that kind of brings back some memories of junior high for me. However, I can't smell it when I sniff my skin directly, it's just in the background. It's not pine-sol, it's like sitting under a christmas tree. It's very nice to smell, but not on me. I would absolutley recommend this to pine lovers, or those who enjoy woodsy scents. If it was a color, I think it would be dark murky brown or gray. Maybe even black. It feels wintery too. It would be something I would love to smell on my boyfriend, as it's quite masculine. I prefer sweeter scents, so maybe I can pass it on to him...

 

2 out of 5 for me, but once again- I definitely reccomend it to lovers of pine and resiny scents.

[Seismogenic]

I received this as a frimp in a decant circle order, and it definitely seems to have been chosen carefully! Earthy, check. Foresty, check. Possibly resiny, check. I wasn't familiar with the poem, but I went and looked it up, and I liked it as well. I'm much more familiar with German romanticism than with American, but all the nature themes hold across national boundaries, which makes the text, and the scent, appeal to me in concept.

 

In the imp: Dark and resinously piney.

 

Wet on skin: Pine sap and fresh needles, totally natural, no hint of cleaning fluid. The oil is fairly dark colored, even on my wrists.

 

Drydown: More strong fresh pine resin and needles. This is a very fresh evergreen, or a whole forest of them. I'm not really getting any of the other notes yet. By one hour, the other notes have tamed the pine significantly, though it is still prominent in the mix with juniper and musk.

 

Five hours later: The scent is still obvious on my wrists, though the pine has further faded in favor of the musk, which has sweetened the whole blend considerably. The juniper has once again disappeared, after its brief appearance at the one hour mark.

 

End of the day: All the foresty smells are gone, but some sweet musk remains

 

Overall: I really like this one. In the earlier stages, it's like walking into a forest full of huge evergreens on an overcast or dark day, intensely enclosing, but not in a particularly threatening way. As it dries down, it blends into something that is still dark and enclosing, still natural even while no longer smelling like any one natural thing. It's a sort of comforting darkness, which fits the poem in my mind - coming back to the Earth itself after death is a nice thought, rather than a depressing one. The Earth cycles and regenerates, after all! I don't know if there was supposed to be an actual dirt note in there or not, but I have no objection that there wasn't. I'll definitely be keeping this imp, though I don't think it'll get wear on days with temperatures higher than 60.

[acidrica]

In the imp, this is very piney. Deliciously piney. It stays the same on my skin, but turns warmer and less sharp. This actually doesn't give me a headache at all, despite how strong it is! I was worried this would smell like cleaning agent, but it's completely pure and foresty. The musk comes through after a while, and smells positively sexy.

 

After a while of wear, it's softened into a smooth, calming smell, still as woodsy as ever. This is something I'd love to wear to work. I'm going to have to get a bottle of this.

[Shadowdawn]

OMG OMG OMG OOOMMGGGGGGGG. hah uhm *cough* yes well anyway that was my reaction. ^^

In bottle: VERY sharp pine, lemon, citrusyness

On skin: MMMMMMMMMM oh my goodness........ this is the SEXIEST male fragrance ever. (I realize it's unisex but just to me it kinda smells totally like a guy thing... without having that WAY overpowering cologness to it.... so beautiful and fresh)

Dry: Still as delicious with subtle and totally sensuous musk comming through. *drools* i CANNOT wait to put a dab of this on my hunny......

I absolutely adore this scent for a male because it's hard and masculine without being overpowering and suffocating. It's so FRESH and earthy and just YUM.. woodsy clean-ness...with a hint of sexy comming through with the spicy musk background.

[rayvn1]

Oh god, oh god, oh god! Perfection I would have sworn this contained musk, but the earthiness of this blend is undeniable. Dangerous, sexy, BAD it is everything that is good about BPAL in one little bitty imp. Strong, great throw and very determined to have its way with my skin. Top ten, no doubt.

[MisterShrapnel]

SUPER pine! I love it! I got a frimp from the Lab on my first visit and now my imp is all grubby from loving abuse.

I know some people get AGH PINE SOL but all I smell is delicious, dark, natural woody pine (it softens after a few minutes), slightly resinous and musky. I could really wear this anywhere.

Yum yum! This is bottle-worthy in my book.

[tajana]

I was beginning to think that I just didn't like pine in perfume, since the ones I've tried so far have gone either to pine-sol or to Christmas, but this... this is something else. I love it! Strong, sensual dark musk, juniper, and dark green pine that calls to mind dense forest, the earth beneath your feet covered with a shroud of fallen pine needles. I also distinctly get the impression of some beautiful deep golden resin, which makes me think of pine sap and only intensifies the beauty of this scent. It's so evocative, I love just closing my eyes and taking deep whiffs of it, wishing I wasn't in the middle of a city right now.

[CynicalPink]

Imp: Pine scented, all right

 

Wet: Okay not hamster bedding. That's a good start

 

Dry: It's reminding me of Noctnitsca, but with more of a piney edge. Piney piney pine pine. It's smells like pine.

 

Overall: It's nice, just not for me. It's a very deep-woods scent and I'm really picky about my wood notes. It's not bad, just not my style