Monastery in the Mountains

[Lycanthrope]

Monastery in the Mountains, Nicholas Roerich.
Snow-capped mountain air, rich sandalwood incense, and deodar - the Tree of God.

This is really brightly minty, slushy, Beth's snow note for sure. This reminds me of parts of Nuclear Winter and Kumari Kandam but being less sweet and breezy (in case of Nuclear Winter - less aquatic) and less floral (compared to Kumari). It's definitely snow-capped mountains. It has a pretty straightforward development on me - I don't get too much distinct sandalwood nor do I get deodar (haven't smelled it alone) as any separate note. It's pleasant but I have so many things like it already that I don't know if I'll need to get more.

[stellamaris]

Yes, surely snow note here, very frosty and delicious.

I loved wearing these in the summer, they were so refreshing (the snowy ones). This one seems a little more complex.

[joyfulgirl]

death-matching this with woods in winter right now. this is a COLD one. the minty snow note in this one is even colder and more refreshing than woods in winter, but they are quite similar. i'm getting a distinctly air-y note from monastery though (vs. an earthy note in WiW). it's very evocative of a feeling of the thin, crisp, cold air one encounters at altitude. i get a tiny bit of burning incense on the dry down, but it's low key and fleeting underneath the snow and pine-y greens. a beautiful winter scent - although i agree with stellamaris - this would be a fun one to wear in the summer!

[zankoku_zen]

Oh, oh.

 

This is the same note in Ice Queen (minus berries and florals), the same note in Snowy Mountains (no vanilla though), and a kissing cousin to the snow note in Cloister Graveyard.

 

It's minty, slushy, snow.

 

AND I LOVE IT. If you loved Ice Queen, and loved Snowy Mountains (which I do), this is that SNOW note.

 

...

 

And now I am off to go and get as much as my greedy heart desires because Ice Queen is hard to find, so is Snowy Mountains, but now there is a blend that I can use and slather and roil in. Oh yes, it will be mine.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: The snow note is similar to the Death of a Gravedigger and very intense, maybe too intense. The deodar is a weak second, with sandalwood support, so the result is SNOW, WIND CHILL, cedar and a touch of sandalwood incense. It works for the concept and the smell suits the art beautifully. I am worried it may be too much for me. Wet: It is much the same only stronger and mintier. It did remind me why I fell in love with the Gravedigger in the first place. It’s a non-peppermint mint, BTW. Dry: Still mostly snow, only softer and the accord has less internal differentiation, with the ghosts of deodar and incense.

[a_llb]

In vial: Deliciously fresh, sweetly thin air. Not nearly as ozonic as I expected. I am not very familiar with snow notes, but I like this one so far.

 

Wet: It reminds me very much of a sharper, thinner version of Dublin. Sniffing side by side, Monastery is noticeably more... airy? I think if the incense strengthens with age, Monastery could very well become an acceptable dupe for Dublin, in my opinion they are definitely in the same family.

 

Dry: The gusty snow clouds quickly take on a latex-like tinge, the same way that kept Knockout Drops from working on me. There is a similar, almost lemony feel.

 

Verdict: The final stage goes too rubbery for me to enjoy, which has happened with other light blends of this nature. I still really love the way this smells in the imp though!

Edited October 26, 2012 by braybrigade

[orata]

This is mostly the distinctive BPAL snow note, cool and minty and slightly fruity-smelling. I think I can smell a tinge of sandalwood incense if I think about it, but the main impression is just a general snow accord. It's too bad; I would have liked something more complex, but I feel like this smells identical to a million other snow scents that have passed through my hands.

[Aldercy]

This starts out well because I love BPAL's snow note, but it unfortunately goes downhill as it dries.

 

That icy sweet eucalyptus-mint slush is there in little bits and pieces, but it falls apart in the face of Monastery in the Mountains' "airiness." That air/wind note just turns to strong, powdery dryer sheets on me. And, unfortunately, the sandalwood and deodar are not up to the task of helping. They're too wispy/dusty and do nothing to effectively ground the scent. I loved the idea of a sandalwood-and-snow scent (I like scents with warm and cold layers: Ded Moroz, I'm looking at you *eyebrow waggle*), but it's just not working for me.

[Quillifer]

The main part of this scent it a minty-snow note for me, and something that tingles a little in my nose. It get a slight hint of incense too, and then the little hint of fir-like tree.

 

It's evocative and refreshing. If I'm really honest I don't think I'd have gone for a bottle of this if I'd tested it, but I have a feeling I'll grow to love it and be grateful that I have one.

 

Update: this is really growing on me, I love it

 

I get a strong emotional reaction to this one which I haven't managed to explain to myself - a lump in my throat. It reminds me very much of my love of mountains, and of strenuous physical exercise - the thing that is making others sneeze is just a tingling to me and reminds me of that.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Quillifer

[myth]

I was hoping this was going to be the cold piney snow note mixed with incense. When first applied, the snow note is that cold pine, but it leans toward sharp cleaning product associations. I'm hoping the incense will come out and back this up.

 

But as it dries more, I never really get incense. Every now and then there's a thin wisp... like distant incense being blown past my nose on a cold wind. The pine part of the cold note goes away, and it turns to air. I turn anything airy or ozoney straight into soap. This one somehow manages to stay just this side of soap, but it is definitely AIR... dry, slightly ozonic, air. It's atmospheric [har] but I don't care for the smell of it. And the incense never shows up to really round this scent out into anything else. It's just... air.

 

Not for me.

[Little Bird]

Snow note (slushy, cold, and a bit minty & mentholic) with a slightly soapy quality to it, probably thanks to the ozone. I'm not really getting any of the woods or incense, as it seems like the aquatic/ozone part amps up for me.

[WidgetAlley]

Nicholas Roerich is one of my favorite artists ever, so I just about died when I saw Beth had made these! I love the still, silent, otherworldy quality of his paintings and pastels, and I am very much hoping that the Roerich scents work on me.

 

Imp: Sweet, floral snow-- grapefruit and citrus and bright pale fluttering florals rimmed with ice. Gorgeous! Smells just like Snow Moon, with a hint of something bitterly resinous and woody.

 

Wet: Snow, and ice, and high, clear, piercing winter air. I get the ozone and aquatic comparisons, but on my skin, it's not quite the same. There's something green and growing underneath it all, and brief flashes and hints of dusty cedar. This smells, on me, almost exactly like one of those early spring days where the tips of the green grass are just starting to push through the nasty, gritty slush. It tries to go soapy, but ends up staying that sweet, crystalline note.

 

Dry: This stays that same slushy snow note, so it is definitely not for ozone-haters, but accompanied by a bright grass green... something. Up close, soft wafts of cedar and incense beckon you to come closer. Unfortunately, it seems to make me sneeze! Overall, this is (weirdly) like a cross between Snow Moon and Pirate Moon, with the soft wood and incense of PM but the fresh, gorgeous winter notes from SM. It's lovely, but nothing I really feel compelled to seek out more of.

[Wren12]

Tried this today after my skin ate the Absinthe I tested, so light scrub and here we go.

 

In bottle...very nice, refreshing, cool. Bright and airy like sun Shi.ing on a high peak. No mint here for me, but an interesting sweet note.

 

On wet...very nice, cool and refreshing. A tang of ozone and now I get light mint, sweet and tingly in my nose. A high note that I enjoy.

 

On dry...the ozone melts away, leaving a whiff of mint...and soap. That's the sandlewood rearing its head. Sandlewood always comes off as soap to me. Going to wear this out and see if the sandlewood grows on me, I hope it does because I just adore everything else in this!

 

After several hours of wear, including during a strenuous workout...omg, this is going to sound really strange, but this is just a perfect 'gym' fragrance for me. I'm a bit of a gym rat and spend a lot of time there, and this just stayed and stayed despite the sweatiness. The nice sandlewood or 'soapiness' was not unpleasant at all, it was actually quite nice and refreshing, and as I got warm I noticed some notes of incense to it. I have an 8 mile run tomorrow and I think I will apply this then layer some Pain over the top of it to make it a bit more uplifting and pick me uppy.

 

I thought this one might go in the swap pile, but now I'm thinking I'm going to grab a bottle come Black Friday!!

Edited November 17, 2012 by Wren12

[fairestrocza]

I should have known that this one would be a no-go for me. Snow-capped Mountain Air = ozone = soap and/or dryer sheets on me. I was hoping that the other notes would ground it, and on the skin it does warm up a bit, but only to the point of warm-from-the-dryer dryer sheets rather than fresh-from-the-box dryer sheets. If I inhale very deeply, I can get a faint hint of the trees, but my skin just likes to take the ozone notes and amp them to the tops of those snow-capped peaks.

 

eta - after several hours, the ozone starts to back off and I get some sweetness, which is nice, but still not worth fighting with the ozone.

Edited November 21, 2012 by Rocza

[brilliantcat]

Imp: The snow note reads as pine to my nose.

 

Wet: Chilly pine and I really do get the "snow". Beth is magical. I feel like I'm standing ankle-deep in slushy snow under a pine tree.

 

Dry: Nothing but that piney snow note. It smells vaguely high-end soapy. None of the other notes make even a brief appearance. Not bad, but not bottle-worthy.

[milo]

This is beautiful. There's the lab's snow note, but it is slightly sweet in a non-foody vanilla way. Not sure where I'm getting the vanilla, but that's what it smells like to me. A little sharp at first, but dries to this gorgeous snowy vanilla. This is what I wanted Tokyo Stomp and Snowblind to be like, but they were a bit too foody on me. Bottle for sure, to be used in the summer months.

[mymymai]

ITI: Dewy snow, fresh lemon drops, and warm sandalwood.

 

Wet: I still get the fresh snow, but I also pick up hints of vanilla along with the lemon and a lightly resinous tone from the sandalwood. It's rather pleasant, actually.

 

Dry: It's still wonderfully light, luscious, and slightly citrusy. Beautiful!

[kaberett]

... motorway service-station toilets. Aggressive cleaning fluid, and really unpleasant foamy liquid soap.

 

All the way through. With very, very occasional whiffs of incense.

 

I am disappointed - I was really hoping to like this one - but off to swaps it is :-)

[Zii]

Wet: Rancid berries. Skadi did exactly the same thing on me and all this is is gross berry and faint aquatics. This smelled so good in the imp and I want to wash it off. Bah.

 

Drying: This is getting better and better... It's still pretty gorss, but the berry is turning cold in a really interesting way. I'm not convinced I can get through this gag inducing berry though.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Zii

[filigree_shadow]

Easily recognizable as BPAL's snowy note. Soft, cool, and sweet. I can definitely detect some incense in it.

This is very nice, and if I didn't already have bottles of Snow Flakes, Snow Maiden, and Snow Bunny (they are all soooo good), I'd keep this one.

[gloame]

Cold, slushy snow, with a fresh, cold mint.

 

Where I'd wear this: Trudging through cold, slushy snow to pick up firewood.

[ralenth]

Wet: Bright, clean snow. Cool, sweet, and remote. 

 

Drydown: Still gloriously snowy, with whispers of ozone, but not overwhelming.

 

Dry: Cool, high mountain air with tinges of snow. Very pretty.