Somnus

[Methos]

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

Soft and very herb-y in the imp. My first thought upon smelling it was "Lavender and chamomile." An unusual lavender-- more herb lavender rather than the stuff one normally finds, and it quite reminds me of the vial of Lavender essential oil I got at the Abbey Senanque in Provence. There may be a bit of rose in it, too. It doesn't really put me to sleep, but it's a quite, relaxing scent-- a good one to put on before bed.

[jehrichardson]

Hm. Can't honestly say that I think this helps me sleep better, but dang - I smell better while I'm doing it! Jasmine and Lavender and Rose, oh my!

 

That having been said, this is the only jasmine scent I have that isn't too heady. This stuff is delectable and gorgeous. Mmm!

Edited December 6, 2008 by j4r

[lilirose]

I was expecting I’d love this, since I’m a massive fan of lavender, so I bought a 5ml unsniffed. Sadly, no. To my nose it was so strongly jasmine that I couldn’t smell anything else- not even a touch of lavender- and I have a weird nose that makes jasmine smell dank and musty rather than sweet and floral.

 

I tried putting some in an oil warmer, and it worked very well to help my daughter sleep- but I ended up sending my 5ml to a new home, because TKO, Nanshe, and Baku all work better for my chronic insomnia.

[AnArtfuldodger]

I finally got a bottle of this, and it's just lovely! It's very lavender, with a sweet kick at the end, if that makes sense. I slathered some on my wrist before going to bed last night, and fell asleep before the episode of Robin Hood even got halfway through! (Of course, I was quite tired, so this could have also been a factor...)

 

It's a very comfortable scent. I don't find it to be too herbal, or too sharp. It's almost soft, but not softy-softy-soft. It has a *little* kick to it, but it's not overpowering.

 

Love!!

[isis33]

I like the smell of it, though I can't say that it makes me sleepy. But my son loves it and claims that it makes him fall asleep- and I'm very happy to oblige!

[blacklacestatic]

In the imp: sharp florals

 

Wet on skin: It's very sharp and cloying. A very heady bouquet of flowers. This would be too much for me to go to sleep wearing.

 

Drydown: It got softer and clean smelling. Like laundry. Lavender maybe? This could be fine for going to bed with, I would just have to wait the couple of hours it takes for it to get more subtle.

 

Overall: Won't knock me out from first sniff that's for sure. Perhaps it would be good for sleep in the drydown phase as I stated before, but I would probably fall asleep in the time it takes for it to reach that phase anyway. It's certainly not a perfume for wearing out of the house. The only time I guess I would really wear it again is if I were desperate to get to bed. Other than that, I have no real need for this.

[Ceri]

In the vial: Sharp & Green.

 

Wet: Floral appears with a loud bang!

 

Drydown: Floral fades to a nice soft touch. A very clean scent.

 

Overall: The scent is too clean, but I'll give it a try tonight before giving it a final verdict.

[crebbsgirl]

I got rose and lavender here. I was mildly concerned that since my skin amps rose, this blend wouldn't work for me. But I really shouldn't have worried. I applied this about 45 minutes before I went to bed, and I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Normally I'm up for about an hour or so after I go to bed. I have some real trouble falling asleep. Not last night! YAY

[devilot]

So after combing over the lab's description and the review threads for the entire Somnium collection, I decided that Baku and Somnus seem like the most beneficial for my wants/ needs. I'm super sleep-deprived so I never have issues falling asleep, rather, I have issues staying asleep. Delphinine was sweet enough to toss in an empty bottle of Somnus when we did a swap and last night, I huffed the empty bottle before attempting to sleep.

 

In the bottle: v strong herbal lavender. Sharp, potent.

 

Unfortunately, my nose can't pick out anything else, and I can't skin test as there's no oil/ residue for me to skin test.

 

But? I went to bed as usual, and woke up at 5:30am (my usual time). What?! I woke up at 5:30am?! I mean, I didn't wake up at 1am, 1:30am, 2am, 3am, 3:30am, 4am... I just... slept through the night?! I'm definitely gonna attempt huffing Somnus again tonight and if it seems to work again, it's gonna be in my next lab order for sure.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Slightly sweet, slight floral (rose?), medicinal LAVENDER.

 

Wet: It dries down very quickly to powdery floral soap, losing the freshness of lavender - I get a strong jasmine vibe, and less of that rose I suspected.

 

Dry: I don't know if it would have helped, because I washed it off within 30 min - but it certainly didn't make me tired. Really not into the floral powder, old lady stale thing.

 

 

 

[anna1850]

OK lavender blend; nothing special.

 

2.5/5 Doesn't come close to TKO.

[spoilsofwar]

I'm not a fan of lavender, as in the flower, but when it's medicinal like this, there's something about it. Within 20 minutes of putting it on, I could NOT stay awake. I have no idea if it's the fact that it was 4am or the Somnus, but I was OUT like a like in a heavy sleep that pulled me completely under. I might have to try this again tonight but at a normal hour to try again to find out. If it's this perfume, Beth's gonna run out of it. I love things that lull me into a natural sleep; I'm a big fan of melatonin for this reason. I hate taking sleeping pills or Nyquil because I feel SICK and that's what makes me fall asleep. Then I wake up groggy. I even woke up EARLY today, and I woke up ready to COOK. That never happens.

[caffinatedangel]

This was a frimp from the lab, but I was grateful to get it. Reading through reviews, I was very scared of this imp. Jasmine is my sworn enemy. We do not see eye to eye, ever.

 

Yet, this isn't jasmine-y for me. It is lavender, but not an obnoxious lavender I've dealt with before. I'm confident that's rose. Perhaps Rose makes jasmine behave, on me?

 

This isn't a scent I would wear out of the house. Florals and I don't tend to get along, in general. (You see now why Jasmine and I dislike each other). However, lately I've had issues with my sleep. I have no issues getting to sleep, or staying asleep. My issue is that I sleep long hours, and through it all thrash and turn in a sort of nighmareish insanity that makes no sense in my head. Not even nightmares, because that would mean I had a cohesive dream. I lack any cohesion, ever. And that lack of logic makes me thrash and wake up weary eyed.

 

Interestingly, or maybe coincidentally, wearing this scent calms me. On first sniff, I can feel all my nerves sort of unwind- Not enough to put me to sleep. I don't think that's the intention of the scent. I think it's to just help you have a natural, calm sleep. And for the first time in a few weeks, I slept. Woke up, and I wasn't tangled in my sheets or sweating. I was blissfully in the same position I had fallen asleep in. Now that's lovely.

 

Will try it a few more times and see if it keeps going. Even if it's not the oil, and just a mental thing, I'm good with that. Just hope jasmine doesn't pop out as the lab-fresh imp ages. That would make me very sad.

[jennythereader]

First Worn: 6/26/2009

 

In Imp: Lavender, but nice. (I'm not usually a big fan of lavender.)

 

At Application: still lavender, still nice, faded fairly quickly; the second time I wore it, it lasted for quite a while

 

Later: I don't really know. I fell asleep and it was gone by morning. Overall, it didn't seem to help with falling asleep in the first place, but I didn't wake up as often during the night and fell back asleep more easily when I did. It also seemed easier to get out of bed in the morning.

 

Rating: 3 (Get another imp when this is gone.)

[inertia]

Somnus gets two big thumbs-up from me!

 

I'm not a huge fan of the lavender/jasmine scent but that's okay because it's not a bad scent, and it works so well. Normally I have terrible problems falling asleep, lying in bed for 2 hours or more becoming irritated and bored, unable to drag myself out the next morning because I didn't get a good night's rest. Using Somnus, I fall asleep quickly, stay asleep, and wake up much more easily. I got an imp from a forum member and after 2 or 3 nights I ordered a big bottle from the lab, crossing my fingers desperately that the imp would last long enough to hold me until the bottle arrived. (it did)

 

I've also tried TKO and while they both work for me, I find Somnus the more calming and restful of the two. I haven't had any dreams so far on Somnus nights, just relaxing sleep.

[MeiLin]

Two thumbs down, sadly. I amp jasmine, spectacularly; this is headache-inducing, not sleep-inducing. Luckily, Number Two Daughter likes it and uses it. I'll stick with TKO.

[aquazoo]

Soft and soapy. I'm not ready for bed yet, but it does seem to be relaxing.

[muteddragon]

Imp: dear Jebus this is strong.

Skin: Oh, lighter. Lavendar and .. something.

Results: Didn't help me sleep the two times I used it. Applied to wrists and temples. Maybe it should go on the pillow. Tonight's experiment. But I did have vivid dreams (one was a nightmare but I have nightmares frequently so I can't blame it on this).

[reynardine]

Got this as a frimp.

 

In bottle: strong, sharp, almost like nail polish

 

Wet: Okay, Lavender and roses, very strong. It reminds me of an Lavender soap that my late grandmother used to use. This is not a bad thing, as I was very fond of my grandmother.

 

Drydown: Pretty much lavender, with a bit of something behind it. Jasmine, maybe?

 

Powder within 30 minutes.

 

Sorry, I'm not tired at all, but lavender never did have that affect on me.

 

It's nice, but not for me.

[HamletsKeeper]

It depends on the day as to what I get out of this one, first sniff and drydown was heavy lily of the valley, today I've got lavender in quantity.

 

Bottle Sniff - Heavy herbal lavender, with a very mentholy edge.

 

Wet On Skin - lavender vicks, and something dry and herby like Thyme. There's also a heady type of flower behind it which comes out in late drydown but never enough to take the menthol edge off the scent. I think that flower is gardenia, even though everyone here says jasmine....

 

This is not a perfume it's a very potent aromatherapy blend. I had trouble sleeping last night and so applied this to my forearms and chest. I was asleep faster than I was horizontal. I slept like the dead. I will probably buy this oil for it's sheer ability to knock me unconscious at the drop of a hat. It should come with a warning about the operation of heavy machinery.

 

The more I use this the more I dislike the smell of it, but it's ability to put me to sleep fast has meant I've purchased a 5ml. As a shift worker you can't beat the ability to catch sleep on cue.

 

ETA - whatever that flower is (jasmine\gardenia) it's kinda litter-boxy and I really hope it's not jasmine as I've got some scents coming with jasmine in it...

Edited November 6, 2009 by HamletsKeeper

[Rianna]

Sniff: Lavender and floral notes my nose isn't smart enough to identify. I would agree with others who have said there's jasmine in the mix.

 

On skin: Smells about the same as in the bottle. Huge throw and lots of staying power. No big clashes with either my or the DH's chemistry.

 

Does it actually put you to sleep? Well, yes and no. It doesn't knock you out, but it's very relaxing. Think cup of herbal tea or hot bath and you've got the effect of Somnus. I bought a bottle for the DH about a year ago and he's been sleeping much better ever since. I've also found that I can drive and focus on work without problems after I (accidentally) applied Somnus for day wear once, but YMMV so don't try that at home, kids.

 

Verdict: Definitely planning to buy again when this bottle runs out. Somnus is good for easing yourself into sleep.

[morinpm]

Somnus, for me, is a most perplexing scent. I honestly can't smell any specific notes in it, it's just...kind of a floral sweetness, one I'd describe as periwinkle-colored. When I tried it by itself, I seemed to get decent sleep, but strangely I woke up with mild vertigo that persisted for a day or so. Then this weekend I tried layering it with Temple of Dreams...I don't know if it was Somnus itself or my inherent tiredness, but I manged to sleep in considerably later than I usually can. (No vertigo this time either.) I'll be keeping the imp and continuing to test it, but I think I'd prefer a sleep blend with more lavender in it.

[Gwydion]

In Bottle: Lavender dominant. Strangely musky. It’s got a complex herbal background that I’m having trouble parsing due to the strength of the lavender. Wet: Significantly more floral on the skin, though it’s hard to parse. It’s very light and fresh and feminine. I like temple of dreams better as a scent, but this is perfectly pleasant. Dry: Very perfumey. Still lavender dominant.

[FathomBelow]

Like everyone else has said, this scent was much sharper in the bottle and wet on my skin than I was prepared for, even after reading the reviews. It's a very sharp, acrid lavender, and nothing else.

 

Fortunately, when it dried, it became the exact, soft, pretty, powdery scent of delicate lavender soaps that you can get from those little boutiques. In addition to being softer, it was also more complex - could have been the rose/jasmine or musk or lemon (unlikely) that some reviewers have mentioned. Whatever it is, I like it. This is not an adventurous scent (which is good for falling asleep), but still a beautiful one. I was smelling this and listening to Debussy, Yiruma, and Jim Brickman as I drifted off to sleep...and all sorts of images of lavender started drifting into my head: lavender growing in the rain, stems of lavender floating on moonlit rivers, on misty lakes...yeah, you can tell that this is one romantic scent.

[doublehelix]

In the imp: lavender sachets... this reminds me of a pillow my mom made me to sleep with when I was a kid, when I had trouble falling asleep at night. Very comforting.

 

Wet on skin: More herbals... lavender is still there. I'm so glad I have a full bottle of this on the way to me.

 

Dry on skin: the rose, jasmine and chamomile come out now. Still very soft and comforting. I will have to try this before bed tonight!