Elegy No. 1 S. 196

[OctoberGwen]

White sandalwood, bergamot, white musk, and ambergris.

Upon initial application, I get something that is reminiscent of lemon (which I happen to love): I think it's the combination of bergamot and ambergris. It's really quite lovely.

As the scent settles into my skin, a bit of the dry, crumbly sandalwood comes out. I prefer dry scents to watery ones, but I don't want the white sandalwood to take over. I am hoping it gets a little muskier with time; I can't really smell the white musk yet. I think if the musk can balance out the sandalwood, this will be really beautiful.

Later: definitely muskier; the waft on this is getting really nice. The lemony quality is gone. I'm getting a beautiful musky ambergris with a bit of sandalwood. This is a soft, pale scent but I wouldn't classify it as 'white'. It is really unique.

Contemplating a bottle.


ETA: Even later, I keep catching whiffs of this and it is just gorgeous. The ambergris really shines in the far drydown. I am definitely going to need a bottle of this for days when I want something soft and pretty - with staying power. Ambergris alone tends to vanish fairly quickly on me; I can still smell Elegy No. 1 S. 196 on my wrists the next morning. LOVE THIS BLEND.

[Monday]

On my skin wet: All these notes combined do a great impression of a super-sharp grapefruit. *cough* It is rather sharp at this stage.

On my skin dry: Ooh the sandalwood is very strong and is starting to go towards celery territory, the bergamot is melding nicely with the celery sandalwood. Lots of throw but it's giving me a headache.

[zankoku_zen]

The bergamot is strong on wet, giving this blend a citrusy feel. As it dries, I get more of the sandalwood and ambergris. It's a green, musky ambergris blend.

 

White, whispy, sandy.

[Bookgroper]

This is like, Helloooooooo bergamot! at first. After a bit, I can get a hint of the dryness from the sandalwood and something I think is the musk.

 

When it dries down it gets very dry and I think I get a hint of the ambergris, but more of a suggestion because I know it's in there vs an actual hit of scent.

 

Will enjoy the decant but not sure if I want a bottle yet.

[MCS4096]

I really loved this until the sandalwood began to amp and, although I have never had this problem with it before, smell a lot like pencil shavings. Typically I've heard of that happening with a cedar notes, but whatever-- it's there and unfortunately it's a bit too discordant with the other (gorgeous) notes for my liking. Darn

[miamaslegi]

I asked my roomie what he thought this smelled like on me. He scrunched his face up and considered it for a bit. "Flowery cramsicles," he said. And you know, it does smell like flowery creamsicles! The sandal (which reads as creamy to me, especially white sandalwood) and bergamot combine to give the impression of a creamsicle while ambergris, which I love, registers as gorgeously flowery but not floral, if that makes the slightest bit of sense. I never did get the white musk and I'm glad as it is usually too sharp for my tastes. Before my first sniff, I thought I'd really dislike this, but it's been the sleeper hit for me!

[AEris]

The beginning of this scent is loudly lemony with the bergamot. This quickly burns off, and I am left with a lightly musky fragrance with a hint of soft woods. It's inviting, familiar, simple, and easy. It's not terribly unique with my chemistry, but it is pleasant and comforting.

[valnillarose]

The lemon combined with the powdery sandalwood and touch of clean musk makes this smell more like Shalimar to me than Haunted EVER has. I've discovered I love Beth's white sandalwood, and this is just gorgeous with it.

[Caper]

Yum!

 

The bergamot leaves early, and I'm left with a gentle musky, sandalwood, ambergris blend. Sandalwood can sometimes go dry and powdery, but this one doesn't go too far. The ambergris made me take my SN out of the swaps box.

 

It reminds me a touch of silver-haired bat and morroco. Now that it has been on my skin a bit, I'm definitely getting the sandalwood from morroco. Beautiful.

[milo]

This very much reminds me of Lilith vs The Giant Crab. Also very similar to Cabaret Goth and Jingo Kogo, though I'd have to do a comparison with all of these to see which is closest. This is warm, but with the lovely, salty ambergris. It almost seems golden, as sunshine rays through warm ocean water. I really like this, but it is too close to the above to warrant a bottle. Very nice though!!

 

oh yes, I get the Silver Haired Bat comparison as well...

Edited December 6, 2013 by milo

[mymymai]

ITB: My initial impression is that the scent runs on the perfume-y side in terms of powderiness. I do detect the slightest hint of ambergris behind it, which I hope develops as I adore that note.

 

Wet: It's pleasantly perfumy and powdery from the white sandalwood and musk. Bergamot shows up underneath lending depth to the scent along with very, very faint ambergris. It's beautifully light and evocative.

 

Dry: After a number of hours, it's light, but I can still pick up the white sandalwood (slightly powdery, but pleasantly so) and a touch of the bergamot.

[Roogna]

I put it on and instantly get a scent that's very sweet, white, and juicy.

 

It turns quickly to lemon cake, wafting back and forth between something more sandalwood and something more lemon-cleaner, but usually staying sweet enough to conjure cake

[SophieCedar]

Wondering why no one has mentioned a similarity Sibyl or Kitty yet? I would even compare it the feel of Vasilissa.

 

I get sweet, soft, creamsicle with a touch of ambergris. Elegy No. 1 S. 196 is lighter than Kitty or Sibyl but the overall qualities are there. The throw is pervading and elusive like Haunted and the overall feel is amazing, cloud-soft, sweet, musky, feminine, refined, balanced, and definitely not a "mall-perfume-stink". Great for day/night, good mood/bad mood, and all seasons.

 

Its not very often I fall in love with a scent this heavily so quickly.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Almost pure bergamot, touched with sandalwood. This is a juicy orange, sweet, but not too sweet.

 

Wet on skin: The orange has faded into the sandalwood here, a bit, but it's still strong.

 

Dried down: About the same as wet - citrus and sandalwood.

 

Throw: I think I'm getting a bit of throw here, but it's kind of hard to tell. Whatever I'm getting, it's pure white musk, I think, throwing little hints of scent about rather than surrounding my head with a cloud of scent.Very light.

 

Verdict: **** I actually do really like this scent - seems like it would be a fun one to wear in spring or summer with the bergamot, but I'm not entirely sure I want a bottle. I'm more of a strawberry/apple girl for spring and summer scents, so I don't think I'm going to be reaching for it much. And my holiday order is already out of control. I might see if I can find a partial somewhere, but otherwise, I'll be content with the decant.

[Aviatrix]

At first, I'm getting a big blast of bergamot with some white musk. Nice!

Upon drydown, the delicious white sandalwood comes out, and it all blends beautifully. It reminds me a bit of Arcana, which I also love. It's a very refreshing, but at the same time warm, scent.

I am not getting any ambergris, but that is probably due to me having never smelled ambergris, so I wouldn't recognize it...

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: The white sandalwood and the white musk.

 

Wet: Much as on cold sniff.

 

The dry-down: I had to slather this to get any scent at all. Faint and fleeting in the bottle and on my skin. Ultimately I get some ambergris buried by skin musk. Nice, kind of me after a bath/shower with unscented products, but not what I usually wear perfume for.

[bellumed]

Dry, musky bergamot, reminds me of tea. Ambergris comes out on the skin, bringing a mildly animalic edge to the blend. Finally, on drydown, I can smell a woody scent in there as well. This is certainly unisex (I'd be really curious to smell this on a guy), dry, and light. Pleasant.

[angelamaria]

In bottle: creamy lemon. Not quite foody, but there is a hint of that. So lovely!

Wet on skin: the musk comes out very nicely, kind of easing out and softening the bergamot a bit more, and making it less foody-lemon in feel. The white musk is the powdery sort, without the oily note that some of the lab's white musks give me. This is such a lovely, bright but comfortable scent.

Dry: huh, where has it gone? It's not yet 20 minutes, but it's almost all gone on my skin. I get a teensy bit of sandalwood--perhaps. About an hour on, even that seems gone, but I have a sort of generic soapy scent left.

Verdict: I was dreading this turning into a keeper, because the bottle and wet scent is just amazing. Alas, my skin chemistry seems to be friends with my wallet, so I can let this one go.

[Lucchesa]

I was waiting for the white musk to ruin Elegy No. 1 for me. It never happened. It's more of a pale musk with none of the screechiness of the white variety on me. The bergamot-sandalwood combination is lovely, and the ambergris is more evident in drydown. There is a pale, ethereal quality to this scent, and in fact the wear length on me is not great, but it is a beautifully evocative blend.

[Okupsidedown]

Elegy No. 1 S. 196

 

In the bottle: *pokes at the bottle* Do something. Smells. Like nothing? Ambergris seems to do that in the bottle about half the time. Maybe a tiny bit of powder. Kinda sweet?

 

Wet: Oh hay there, Bergamot, you sexy beast! Gorgeous. White musk and ambergris. Oof! No sandalwood yet, but I amp it, so it's only a matter of time.

 

Dry down: Sparkly white musk and ambergris. Bergamot ran off in a huff and says she's never coming back. We'll see about that. Just barely enough sandalwood to give this blend a foundation.

 

Dry: I love white musk! The usual buttery thing ambergris does is nowhere to be smelled, everything is just glittery and sparkly. Little powdery, but sandalwood keeps it grounded. Yis!