Strength

[Shollin]

Strength, from Tarot Oils. Strength is my soul card and personality card, and I really liked her even before I knew that.

 

First sniff: A green scent, slightly fruity with a touch of grounding earth. It strikes me as very feminine and very complex – I’ll be very interested to see what it does on my skin, and whether the lion ever shows up.

 

Wearing: Softly earthy and very soothing, but with a firmness behind it. There’s a very faint sweetness dusted over the earth – I think this is what I translated as “fruity” at first sniff, but on my skin it’s more like honey. A few hours into wearing I sniffed my wrist and I swear it was cocoa - not sweet at all, and not nearly as rich as Vice, but cocoa. A hint of the overall earthiness is still lingering about, twelve hours after initial application.

 

I wore this to work and kept almost falling asleep until I resorted to coffee... I'm not sure Strength was the culprit, but I've discovered "grounding" scents do tend to make me a bit sluggish if I'm not hyper when I put them on. I'll keep this one around for days when my mind is racing a zillion miles an hour and needs to slow down and take a breath.

[Gothabillywench]

I know this may not be helpful to anyone outside Melbourne, but this was described by a friend of mine as a "Brunswick St" scent. & She's right, it was Brunnie St in a bottle- bohemian yet chic, melting pot of cultures, edgy & in your face but not in a flashy way.

 

Smell wise on me this seems to be the same "family" as haunted, Loviatar & Spellbound in how it reacts on me & makes me feel. It's sexy, but whereas the others are 'come hither" sexy, this is more an everyday sexy smell. The kind of sexy you are when you're not trying to be. It's self assuredness in a bottle. This is the smell to wear when you want to march to the beat of your own drum.

[upsidedown]

I can't figure this one out at all. It's not at all what I expected, but, then, that's not a bad thing, nor does it necessarily mean anything at all. I consider Strength to be my personality card as well, and it's the card that goes along with my sun sign, Leo, so it doesn't surprise me that this reminded me just a little of that scent - the slight fruitiness initially, and something in the drydown strikes me as similar, although I don't think this is sandalwood? I also felt the hit of green right after putting it on, but really I still know as little about this one as I did when I put it on this morning. It's nice, and I'm intrigued; I want to know more, I want to learn its secrets, I want to wear it another day and see what else my nose can pick out.

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: very green, very clean - dandelion stems

 

WEARING IT: very fresh in the same sense that kumiho is. beth threw this in as an extra imp and i REALLY like it. as it dries it reminds me of the way the skin on a pear smells when it's not ripened yet.

 

FINAL VERDICT: clean, refreshing & simple - a very clear scent. i love it

[TygherRayn]

I've always been drawn to the strength card. It's the Lion, I swear it. And this one reminds me of that card, most definitely.

 

Like its ruling sign Leo, this is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. This card assures the Querent that they can control not only the situation, but themselves. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

 

In the bottle: Very strong and definitely green. In fact, when I first smelled this in the little imp, I didn't think I was going to like it .. but I tried it anyway. I can't discern any notes, but it makes me think of dandelions and the leaves left after the roses have all died.

 

Wet: Still very strong and very green, but it's warming on my skin to something that reminds me of powder .. but it's not powdery, if that makes any sense.

 

Wearing: Ooh, I really like this. It smells like amber, and like honey, and like many other warm, earthy smells that make me all snuggly and happy. It's not warm in the same way that .. say .. Old Morocco is warm, or Scorpio. This is a more earthy warmth, where they are more fiery. This warmth is like the lion in the traditional card .. strong and proud, but tamed by something softer.

 

ETA: Boy howdy does this one have some staying power! I put it on before work .. so .. 9pm-ish? I'm still getting whiffs here and there, and it's just as lovely as ever!

Edited June 18, 2004 by TygherRayn

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: It's a little bit green, a little bit yellow, and a little bit cherry... I am concerned about the cherry, but we'll see.

 

Wearing: I still have no idea what is in this, but the green and yellow are what I smell on my skin, and as they dry the colors meld together and darken - a pool of swirling forest green and golden goodness.

 

Final Impressions: I like it, but I feel like I don't know this scent at all. I look forward to exploring it further. (And sorry for all the color analogies, it is just the only way I can think of to describe this!)

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Green. Ripe green.

 

Second Impression: This is a nice scent, like dew covered grasses. The sun is starting dry the dew and a warm breeze is blowing. There is a faint sweetness in the background. Green scents tend to be sharp to my nose, but this is soft and round.

 

Final Analysis: Lovely and soft, zero staying power.

[asa805]

Wow this is beautiful.. It smells just like a certain flower that comes in the tradition bouquets, but me being so terrible at placing smells cannot for the life of me think of which flower it could be. Im thinking a lily or daisy. but neither of them are really rinigng a bell here. Definately fresh cut flowers with lots of green leaves. I really love this. Im hoping it will last but i doubt it. Its only been about 10 mintues and its alrady softening up a lot.

 

Still gorgeous though and i will definatley use up my imp.

 

EDIT: THis turned burnt on me. shame cause i loved it in the beginning. I ended up swapping this away.

Edited August 17, 2004 by asa805

[chin]

At first, this is green, like fresh-cut flowers and stems - like when you first walk in to a florist's shop. It's very light on me, and after the fresh greenness fades there's a very light floral, very slightly powdery scent. Then, surprise, about three hours after application, I smell amber! The slightly flowery powdery effect is still there too. After 4,5 hours - the floral component seems to be getting stronger and rounder and clearer, less powdery. A ful nine hours later - sweetly ambery with a tiny floralish component. Not super strong, but definitely still very much there. It's hard for me to verbalize, I am labelling what I smell as floralish, but it's not really that floral. It's not foodie in a vanilla/tonka way, it's sort of powdery sugary like a pink brit candy.

 

I definitely want a big bottle of this!

[Lucretia]

I can't smell the flowers that other people have mentioned, but for some reason my chemistry is bringing out what reminds me of vanilla.

A bit strong at first, but tones down nicely.

 

Lasted a good 7 or 8 hours before on me before fading to a slight powdery floral (now I can see where the flowers are). I agree that it is very soft and if I had to pick a color I would either say gold or red. I haven't tried leo yet, but I can imagine it would smell something like this.

[malanna]

Upon initial application, this is just what I imagine Dragon's Heart to smell like, sweet, yet firm. This is fruity and watery with a little cherry. When it dries down, it's a little less watery and seems more green, like the lush wildlife around a pond. The fruits aren't so strong. This fades, and is much lighter in hour 3.

[stardust]

This is a good example of how body chemistry alters scents: I got malanna's imp of Strength, and, at first, I smelled like baby powder. After drying, it reminded me of a scent my mom used to wear, Giorgio (the notes in that one are rose, gardenia, orange blossom, and patchouli). I'm not smelling any cherry.

 

On me, this smells too much like conventional (albeit high-quality) perfume. Not quite what I'm looking for.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

My first Tarot oil, and it's marvelous! There's a clean, high, aquatic green note presiding over a slightly spicy earthiness. A quiet and self-assured scent. It doesn't remind me of a Lion nor a Leo in the slightest--it does seem elemental, but on me it's every element *except* fire--there's water and earth and air in here. But then, I'm a Pisces, so perhaps the slightly watery quality I'm picking up is a product of my chemistry. Definintely more of "the Maiden's steadfast will" than the roaring Lion on me. This will be a ritual oil rather than one for daily wear, for when I need some inner strength.

[hypothermya]

Strength

 

Initial Impression

 

Wow. Smells grassy, kinda like The Lion prototype (fitting, huh?), but without the cinnamon. And with something else more wet. The Lion was a really dry grassy scent, and this one smells like grass that's still alive and wet.

 

Wearing It

 

So...I'm getting this sweet, aquatic, grassy scent now. Weird. It reminds me a bit of Embalming Fluid...maybe there's green tea notes in here? And...something earthy. Like the lightest hint of patchouli -- red patchouli, maybe? -- but with florals (maybe jasmine or gardenia?). The aquatics are definitely there....there's something in here that's setting off my allergies, same as with Hurricane and Tears. Also, the grassy scent is a lot more subdued than in Rosalind and Old Amsterdam. In those scents it was really the obvious lawn-grass scent, and with this is smells more like wild grass. Weedy almost. I wonder if that's how dandelion smells....someone else mentioned that in their review.

 

Overall, it's a very well blended scent. I get the impression of grasses and flowers, rich with dew, and the scent of rich earth underneath it. Subtly sweet, but only in a sweet grassy way. It's definitely a grounding sort of scent...not as comforting as The World, but still grounding. Pity I'm allergic to it.

 

 

ETA: Just as I was about to go wash this off to save my eyes and nose, I realized that it had an incensey smell to it. Like maybe myrhh or frankincense. One of the two. Figured I should add that. It's so wonderfully complex that it's hard to tell what I'm smelling half of the time.

Edited October 26, 2004 by hypothermya

[Scylla]

In the vial, and wet on my skin: The first thing that came to mind was "this smells just like a funeral home!" Funeral home flowers! Ack!

 

On drydown: Green grasses and headstrong flowers. Very long lasting.

[helarctos]

Strength --

 

Initially, a green, spicy floral. It puzzles the nose.

Dries down to a sweet amber.

 

The lion on the front of the bottle reminds me of the lion in Iwein (Middle High German translation of Chretien de Troyes's Yvain) -- the lion becomes Iwein's companion, always has his back in a fight, and at one point almost commits suicide when he thinks Iwein has fallen dead. This oil Strength carries me like the lion, bringing me through trials (in today's case, an exam!).

 

I'm so glad to have a big bottle of this oil.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: It smells like dirt and moss the woods. I don't want to put it on. I've had some bad experiences with such earthy scents. *whine* But maye it'll morph and be lovely. Okay. Okay. On it goes.

 

Wet: Green. Very much a green smell. Actually, it kinda reminds me of baby's breath in bouquets. It's just kinda there, though, you know. It's nice, and I'm not allergic. But I don't really like it. I guess it's the grass smell. The reminder of leaves and things that are natural and just there. I appreciate it, but I don't want to smell like it. Plus, there's something brown behind it that reminds me of Dublin and my horrible experience with that oil. There's definitely aquatic in this as well, which I only like in very limited cases.

 

Dry down: First pricks of a headache. Hmmm, pity. Takes forever to dry so I'm blotting. It reminds me of a tamer version of Dublin with some aquatic notes mixed in. This is not the best appraoch for it to take. I can feel my sinuses preparing the revolt.

 

Dry: Something of a nice floral with still the tinge of water and moss and woods. But it's too green/brown for me, and my head does not like it. Thus, while I am glad that I had the chance to sample this, I do not think that I can keep it. I also think it's too floral for the boy. Oh well.

[TheDarkMother]

In the Bottle: Delicious and golden, maybe honey and some spice, maybe violets. Its blended so well you really can’t tell.

 

On Me: UGH, ass! There must be civet in this one because even though the top notes are yummy, it smells as if I stepped in poo. Off to the swaos.

[Gin]

Strength

 

The scent of this reminds me of a florist's shop. Not so much by the fresh-cut flowers, but the area with the more crafty items--dried grape vine, eucalyptus, etc., not that I smell either of those things in here. There's a floral and an aquatic, or at least an aquatic (not marine) feel. I get a bit of bubblegumminess, which leads me to believe there's lotus or maybe sweet pea here. Like Laurel the Woodfairy, this is more like the maiden than the lion on the card. It's warm and feminine, very pretty and not at all what I had expected.

Edited February 16, 2005 by Gin

[shelldoo]

this is a very strong floral on me, i get violets, and a touch of amber but it is mostly violets and i adore my violets

[darkling]

Strength is exactly what I expected The Lion to smell like on me. Strength was all warm fur and a hint of something sharp that was brown rather than green. I found it to be a very comforting scent.

 

This reminded me strongly of my favorite Strength tarot card that pictures a brown-haired woman sitting with a tawny ion.

Edited April 28, 2005 by darkling

[scourgeotheseas]

Strength

 

In the bottle: Yellow flowers and green stems, like dandelions.

 

On me: A green scent that reminds me of pulling weeds. Turns very soapy.

[brownbat]

Intially: Cucumber? After: Light and grounding. Very smooth and mellow. Maybe some sandalwood. It's yummy and comforting.

[joseybird]

Green and fresh and herbal, but not at all sharp...maybe some dandalion in here? and a touch of amber? Some sort of golden floral...very nice!

[pranashakti]

Thanks to the wonderful Helarctos, who sent me Strength when I needed it...

 

This is gently stunning. It goes on quite sweetly - a very floral, juicy green. As it dries, there's a touch of earthiness (not dirt, but moist spring earth) that's very warming. Feminine and sweet, but firm...a scent that's grounding and uplifting at the same time. When completely dry it has a light powderiness that soothes pleasantly without lulling, and I am not usually a fan of powder. Strength doesn't have much throw with my chemistry - it stays very close to the skin, giving the feeling that it's there just for me. It has brought (and is bringing) me through a difficult time with my head high.

 

Beautiful and most amazingly effective.