Somnus

[persephanise]

Named after the Roman God of Sleep. This blend helps bring on deep, restful, natural sleep.

In the bottle: WHOA! Lavender.

I don't like lavender, so I almost never got around to trying this.

I'm glad I did, though. Dry, it smells exactly like a jasmine soap bar I used to buy at the Ren Faire that I can't find anymore.

I wouldn't wear this as a perfume probably, which is fine because that's not what it's intended for. I don't have trouble sleeping, so I don'tneed it for slumber. But it is a nice smell, and I can see myself wearing to bed just because.

[lmaunu]

Source: Bottle from the lab

 

I don't smell the lavender as strongly as some other people do, but Somnus has a lovely, soothing, herbal smell to it. This magical concoction also works sleep miracles! I've had my bottle for about two months now, and I bought it when I was going through a period of bad sleep. Every night, I was getting up in the wee, early hours to use the er . . . ladies' room, and then I couldn't get back to sleep. The very first night I used my Somnus, those middle-of-the-night wake-ups stopped! I haven't woken up in the middle of the night since then!

 

As a side note, my DH also likes Somnus much better than the pure lavender oil I've been using the last few years before bedtime. He says that Somnus is a lot more subtle and not overpowering at all!

[fountaingrl]

This is an astringent, slightly sharp lavender. It isn't exactly soft, and has a more herbal feel than a floral one. I am not even sure I *like* the smell. It is nothing I would ever wear while awake. But, I have tried TKO and while that smells better to me than Somnus, it smells too sweet, maybe too good, to work well. Somnus on the other hand works great. So great that I can say it is a little sharp and medicinal, then calms a bit during early drydown -- but I can't speak to after that because I'm always asleep!

[iiinterstate]

In the bottle: this was a crazy strong lavender/herbs smell I didn't think I'd like it.

 

Wet: Oooh...there's something sweet in here, rounding off the sharp herbal edge.

 

Dry: Now this is very very nice, definitely something to scent my pillow with before I go to sleep. I don't think I'd wear it as perfume, but I guess that's not really what its for anyway. If you've smelled store brand versions of lavender scent, this is a completely different experience. It's like you've actually buried your face in an armload of lavender. Lovely.

[ImperatrixMundi]

I got three(!) frimps of Somnus with my locket from the Trading Post and have one more coming in a swap because I did not know I would be flooded with frimps soon.

 

Fortunately this was the best dream formula so far. It goes on as mostly lavender but as it dries down something floral comes out and blends with the lavender. Smells like yellow rose and... bergamot?

 

When I tried it on and kept sniffing I started to yawn, either from the lavender or the psychological effect.

Put it on my pillow in the evening and slept very well. My smell-sensitive boyfriend did not complain about it. In the morning the pillow smelled of rose. Nothing I would ever wear but really a nice pillow scent

 

I am considering finding an empty bottle to house all those imps.

[djsiberia]

finally, something that helps me stay aslepp the entire night. the best part is using this after a night at dj'ing and having issues getting to sleep because my brain doesn't shut off and with somnus i get to sleep within 20 minutes.

 

i find that using this with oneiroi helps me get a deeper sleep.

 

thank you!

 

i've ordered a bottle already and gone through my first imp of this.

[jparrack]

Ok, on me this smells of lavender, strongly when wet, pleasantly when dry. Lavender is not one of my favorite scents, as I find things like mint and citrus more relaxing. That being said, I think I will be ordering a large bottle at some point because that is the fastest I have ever cuddled my small children to sleep In My Life. Apply somnus to wrists. Cuddle children in bed. Sleeping in 20 minutes. I mean it. My 15 month old was fussing and I draped my arm around her, with my wrist on her midsection. 3 minutes later she was out like a light. That was freaky weird, I'm telling you.

[seamor]

Okay, sometimes I have really weird responses to some of these scents ...

 

A few drops of Somnus in an oil warmer made me feel physically deeply relaxed, while amping my mental activity to the point of intense misery. I didn't sleep well, although my body was so relaxed I couldn't muster the determination to move and/or do anything else. I need both parts to relax - this was kinda like what I would imagine it would feel like to be on speed while mostly paralyzed.

 

Nope ... definitely not for me.

[naeelah]

The scent of this reminds me a lot of Yankee Candle's Lemon Lavender, actually. This is a good thing.

 

This is almost all lavender. Definitely a very true-to-life, lovely herbal scent. Softening the lavender, there seems to be a hint of something lemony, and a very soft rosy quality. I only noticed the rose because someone else on the forum mentioned getting rose from this. Without knowing what to look for, I'd completely overlooked it -- and I like to think I have a pretty good nose. So I would definitely say that this is well blended, with the extra notes only tempering the lavender and not standing out on their own.

 

If you find lavender relaxing, then this is definitely a blend for you. I find that Temple of Dreams helps me sleep more peacefully, personally, but I love this blend and keep it around for use during stressful days.

[alicia_stardust]

I get lavender mostly, with a touch of rose floral and an almost tart, herbal quality. This really is quite pretty and it smells so different when it dries than it does in the bottle. I find this to be deeply calming and relaxing. I think it's the most comforting of the sleep blends.

[donnatron]

Imp: In high school one of my friends worked at an aromatherapy shop and would blend chamomile and lavender oil for me. This smells EXACTLY like that mixture.

 

Wet: The lavender comes out stronger but I can still smell sweet--what I'm assuming is chamomile.

 

Dry: Yep, lavender and chamomile. I haven't gone to bed yet, but I have gotten significantly more relaxed to do so. I'll try this over the course of a few nights and see if it stands up to repeated testing.

 

Throw: Decent, actually. Not that it matters since only myself and one other person will be smelling it.

 

Overall: Interesting. I laughed when I pulled this out of my jumbled-box-of-unordered-imps because it's been a very long, and rough day. Then iTunes chose to play Gordon Downie's 'Insomniacs of the World Good Night.' The universe is clearly trying to tell me something.

[savage_rose]

At first it's that putrid jasmine that hates me and smells like pee on my skin (ew!), but as it dries it becomes TKO minus the vanilla, and plus something that smells oceanic. My favorite of the somnium thus far! So relaxing.

Edited April 23, 2008 by savage_rose

[kittycatpurr]

In the imp: Pretty lavender with a lemony tone.

Wet: Totally relaxing. Lavender, lemon and rose.

Drydown: An old-fashioned scent, and I really like it. And a major knock-out effect. I sleep eight hours with no waking. The scent doesn't linger on bedding.

Later: Beloved Somnus. This is my favorite scent (out of 50 so far). Every time I smell it, waves of well-being wash over me. Finished my imp, working on my first bottle.

[DARKBEAUTY28]

When applied it is baby powder with a touch of lavender. Upon drydown the lavender amps up. The whole time the scent remains quite light. Not really my thing though.

[ErinZ]

Wet in imp:

lavender

 

Wet on skin:

lavender with jasmine

 

Drydown:

now the jasmine scent is stronger, a lily-like scent is showing up, and the lavender is just a background player

 

Wearlength:

Hardly noticeable by morning (put it on shortly before bed)

 

Final impression:

Very pretty, very relaxing.

[mhickle]

I tried Somnus for a couple of weeks straight after I bought it, and feel like I should go back and try it again. It certainly relaxes me with its flowery lavender and maybe lemon. I find if I focus on the smell, on breathing deeply during those first few minutes in bed, I'm able to leave the day behind. I don't, however, find it as strong a sleep aid as some of my friends here do. I was disappointed there - after hearing such raves over it, I was hoping it would work for me! I do appreciate its help with relaxation, though, of course!

[Angelscruff]

At first I wasn't fond of this scent--I tried it in an oil warmer and it gave me a headache, as well as smelling overwhelmingly of jasmine. Very sharp, almost acrid. It was difficult to tell whether it would have been relaxing minus the splitting headache it caused. I had this reaction every time I used it.

 

I didn't do well with this scent sprinkled on my pillowcases either--same reaction, and the scent was still unpleasantly bitter.

 

When worn, the oil did mellow nicely into floral with a hint of lemon. It was relaxing, and smelled pleasant, but not sleep inducing.

 

I would recommend it if your difficulties sleeping arise from restlessness or stress, but for a true insomniac it might not be the best choice--I'm going to be sticking with Sleepy Moon.

[isisonearth]

In the imp all I smell is lavender. As I lay there and inhale and try to sift through the scents I can almost glimpse some other florals underneath. I find the slightly soapy tea rose and something that reminds me of the pink poppies I grow in my yard.

 

Overall a very restful scent and one that diverts me from the trials and tribulations of my day.

[milo]

Strong lavender in the bottle and on. I love lavender, but the mix just doesn't do it for me as a perfume, but like a previous poster said this is not it's intention. I would say that sometimes this works for me for sleep, and sometimes not. If I want a nap in the middle of the day, it seems to work, but at night, maybe half the time. It layers very well with snake oil.

[twilighteyes]

Somnus smelled like chamomile to me. I don't like chamomile in my tea and was a bit reluctant to try it. There is also some lavender, but it is fainter and in the background.

 

As much as I wanted to love it, no bottle is in my future. I'm sticking with Baku.

[Greensleeves]

In the bottle: Pale yellow oil. Peppery lavender and green herbs

 

Wet: Strong powdery lavender, with something green and herbal and fresh, a faint hint of something like fresh clover flowers, or the perfume White Shoulders.

 

After a few minutes on skin: I definitely smell White Shoulders, which is a scent I used to like but which doesn't really make me happy now. The lavender is not really noticeable anymore, but I'm getting what smells like peaches... and honeysuckle. LOTS of honeysuckle. Why, oh why, did it have to be honeysuckle?

After first hour: This smell just like Twilight did on me, a big all night honeysuckle dance party on my wrist.

After two and a half hours: More honeysuckle.

 

After 5 hours: Still honeysuckle.

 

Final Verdict: Not to my tastes as a recreational perfume, and didn't help me sleep as much as straight single-note lavender does.

Edited August 2, 2008 by Greensleeves

[ChloeKEvil]

A very strong herbal smell that I like- it doesn't bother my nose at all, which is pleasant. I wasn't sure how much it helped until last night, when I'd gone to bed without putting it on and tossed and turned for a while (my usual routine before I got the bottle, I've been wearing it most nights since then) and then I got up and put on my usual slathering of Somnus and was asleep inside of twenty minutes.

 

Somnus doesn't really help me get sleepy, but I had a bad habit of getting tired, going to bed, and then waking up too much to go to sleep. Somnus relaxes me enough to fall asleep, and then I stay asleep. It's nice.

 

Oh, and it lasts just long enough to get the job done- sometimes I wake up to the perfume I wore the day before on my wrists, but Somnus is always gone. Very nice.

Edited August 3, 2008 by Chloe K Evil

[NixieCakes]

I dont sleep well, so when I got this imp I was stoked. It smells like lavender, which I like. Unfortunately though, still no sleeping. poo.

[skepticism]

I think it's the lavender + jasmine + chamomile that are giving me a different impression, because I instantly smell like a fancy blend of calamine when I wear this. I don't think it's a bad thing, because calamine is something I could sniff 24/7. However, because of this association, I don't feel like this is a fitting bedtime scent for me. This is more of a scent I would apply after taking a hike in the woods and masking the dirt and sweat off my body.

 

Regardless of this scent being something I didn't expect it to be, I really like it. I'm actually going to give it a second shot before going to be right now!

[Czarina]

Smells like lavender and chamomile. I don't smell any jasmine.

 

Seemed to help knock me out last night. TAL Nocturne seems more effective. It smells similar but also has a rose note IIRC.