Visions of Autumn I

[Bluestblood]

White cedar, black pepper, golden amber, bay leaf, and 4-year aged oudh.

I can smell every single note listed in the description. The end result is a beautiful, golden-cedar scent. Cedar definitely dominates here and the amber and oudh add a golden glow that rounds it out and makes it more robust. The bay leaf offers a pale green somberness, and - at least to my nose - takes a bit of the spotlight off the amber/oudh and mutes them a little. The black pepper is an accent gives the whole thing a touch of prickly spice. It is really, really pretty.

[MuskWitch]

Well, I should have known better.

 

I KNOW cedar doesn't work on me. I KNOW cedar is the first ingredient listed.

 

But, but, but, it has AMBER!! And BLACK PEPPER! And OUDH!!!!!!!! Maybe the cedar will just go away and all those scents will rush forward.

 

*sigh*

 

Nope, not happening on my skin. It is a lovely amber/oudh/black pepper scent ~~ with bad B.O.

 

I am hoping the cedar will mellow into a more my-skin-friendly woodsy scent. Now that I have some BPAL experience under my belt I'm willing to keep it for a while and give it a chance to mellow. Please, pretty please! The other notes are LOVELY!!

[Lycanthrope]

So, interestingly, this strikes me as a less resinous, more reedy La Lugubre Gondola, probably because of the strong golden amber note. This has a sweet, nice and spicy drydown but is less rich, and more leafy (pepper, bay and cedar?). That being said, I definitely think of leaves and cold air when I wear this. I will get a single backup probably.

[samarablackcat]

Wet, I get cedar and pepper. The amber gives it a warm glow and stays close to the skin.

 

After it dries, I feel as though I am walking in the woods on a rare, warm autumn day, the sun peaking through the canopy of yellow and red leaves, dry branches on the ground, cracking lightly as I step and somewhere far in the distance, the smoke from a fire, not overpowering (more like the residual of fire picked up by the breeze).

[strahlend]

First sniff – Something interesting is happening here. The pepper is combining with something to make this unusual almost chewy kind of scent.

Skin testing – The pepper comes on strong. Sort of musty and spicy. Like a closet in an old house filled with pepper corns. After a while it settles down, but it still smells more peppery than anything and is not entirely enjoyable.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Lots of bay, supported by agarwood and cedar. The pepper gives it a sharpness. The amber softens it a little. I can tell this isn’t going to work, so no skin test.

[surlygurl]

In the decant, is white cedar all the time.

 

On me? White cedar followed by something almost ethereal. I can't identify bay or amber. The oud must be what is bringing it to the verge of sour. It opens up as it dries, becoming slightly powdery but with a clarity about it.

 

Dry, it goes to a peppery powder with a sour edge. Slightly woody and cool. Unisex and rather standoffish. I like this, but not enough to hunt down a bottle.

[LadyMedb]

Visions of Autumn I is a cool, dry, spicy cedar scent with a hint of peppery spice. The oudh adds a bit of fruitiness to it, but it still remains, as mentioned above, standoffish and sober. Yes, there is a hint of amber, but it smells like it's coming from far away and you can't quite reach it. I think this is a lovely thing.

 

It is straight-down-the-middle unisex and very wearable, yet also intensely evocative of cool autumnal breezes. I am definitely holding on to my imp of this, and am debating a full bottle.

Edited November 19, 2014 by LadyMedb

[somacat]

I love this. Autumn leaves in a pile near some dark cinnamon sticks. This is a dark and somewhat bitter scent that calls up mounds of red and orange leaves rustling in the wing. Love!

[LiberAmoris]

I bought Visions of Autumn I for my husband, but wanted to test on myself before I turned it over. The cedar and bay are strong on me, with the pepper, amber, and oudh close behind. On the drydown, this is like a complex bay leaf—a little sweet, a little peppery, and a lot woodsy. I would definitely recommend this to those who love bay leaf and cedar. The amber is really fascinating here...it comes through sporadically like sunlight on a fall day, giving the other notes a slightly faded gilded quality.

[Balame]

A cool, light cedar is most predominant at first. Definitely very “fall” and soothing. The oudh follows up with its own sort of ashy woodsiness, and the bay provides a refreshing herbal slant.

 

The pepper and amber aren’t very apparent, but there’s some spiciness and sweetness mingling. Outdoorsy and regal.

I’d recommend it for fans of woodsy blends… and actually, anyone who likes Lear from the GC. To me this is pretty much the darker, more grown up version of it.

 

Have to admit though, as it dries something about it gets a bit high-pitched. Maybe that's the pepper?

Gives a bit more of a "nice cleaning fluid" vibe.

Edited November 30, 2014 by Balame

[zankoku_zen]

Cedar, pepper and amber. This is a masculine autumn blend. Woodsy, with the black pepper giving it a dark and masculine edge. Low throw, semi medium wear length.

 

I am surprised since I tend to amp up black pepper and it hasn't dominated the blend entirely.

 

Woodsy, masculine, fall.

[Mokiefraggle]

Ooh, I like this.

 

Wet, I get the cedar, oudh, and amber, with a brisk touch of pepper and bay leaf that tickles my nose very pleasantly. The cedar gives it a slightly green, woodsy note not unlike the juniper notes from Golden Priapus, though a bit more woodsy and a bit less green. It's definitely a unisex scent, which makes me want to try and get my fiance to wear a bit; he smells very good in green woodsy things, and spicy notes are also delicious on him.

 

As it dries, it pretty much remains what it starts as, though the woodsy notes and amber get a little deeper, and the pepper and bay get a bit less nose-tickling, though still spicy and perky. It's delightful, and I enjoy it, though it doesn't last as long as some scents do. I was a bit surprised at how close to the skin it is, not to mention how soon it goes away--perhaps a couple of hours after application--but I enjoy it. I'll gladly slather if I get this kind of woodsy spicy scent for a little while longer.

 

Now, I just have to pounce on Darling and slather a bit on him, too...

[milo]

Definitely the cedar is forefront at first. It becomes a bit powdery, like orris after a bit. There is a masculine vibe that comes into play, and it becomes rather gritty, and outdoor-like, if that makes sense. It becomes too masculine for me. I'm going to have to wash this one off.

[hammy]

In the imp - Cedar and pepper.

 

Wet - This sweetens up almost instantly on my skin. Cedar loves me that way.

 

Drydown - Bay leaf steps up to the plate and there’s a delicious herbal spice about the blend now. God, I want to bathe in this. This is the essence of fall for me. I don’t get wet autumns like most of the U.S. Mine are dry, warm, and leafy, just like this perfume. It’s a bit peppery at drydown, but that’s only when I get my nose up in it.

 

Verdict - I’m completely enamored. Must find bottle.

[Little Bird]

Masculine, spicy cedar. I can definitely smell the black pepper and bay, and I love their sharp, dry spiciness, over a warm, spicy cedar. It would have been full bottle worthy, but the golden amber turns to baby powder in the drydown, and I can't stand that powdery undertone.

[Wwindy]

So much bay leaf! The other notes here seem nice enough, but that one element goes terribly sour and sharp on my skin, and overshadows everything else.

[theredkilt]

This blend is such surprise hit for me. It's a beautiful spicy cedar elevated by bay leaf and pepper; the smell of the cedar log is just so vivid as i smell the back of my hand.  This fills a spot in my collection of woody spicy blends and very appropriate for October onwards.