Aureus

[joiedecombat]

True, perfect golden light, refined into an incomparably glorious scent.

Aureus, on me, turned out very similar to Cairo - a warm, dry scent which is indeed golden, but which put me more in mind of sunwarmed stone than anything else. I didn't really get cedar from it specifically. It's unusual, and really kind of comfortable and not at all unpleasant, but not something I care to smell of myself. Edited September 29, 2007 by Shollin

[juniperus]

Bottle: a sharp incense-y, very churchy note. strong, but a definite mid-range so it, at least, didn't attack my poor sinuses.

Wet: Seriously woody - cedar, gotta be. Very warm, very golden. Nothing much beyond the woody, even the incense-y has tamed some. But I like woody scents, so I'm totally ok with this - YMMV.

Dry: MMMm...ammmmmber. Still with the cedar, but it's sooo warm and loverly. Like sunlight pouring through the windows of an old, wood, church - some incense-y stuff, the warm woodiness, and sunlight. I didn't realize the brightness and warmth of sunlight had a smell, but I think this is it.

Later: Much less cedar-y, more amber-y. Another that isn't terribly long-lasting (but so much isn't long-lived on me I don't worry much about it.) We likes it.

[gwyllgi]

I smell like my great-grandmother's attic. As a memory, it's pleasant - I spent way too many hours crawling through her attic, unearthing old clothes and hatboxes full of random delights and jars stuffed with seashells - but I still smell like my great-grandmother's attic.

 

Much as I wanted to like Aureus, it's providing further proof that anything even remotely smelling of cedar loathes me. (Is there actual cedar in it? I don't know, but my nose insists there is.) It's a sun-warmed, vaguely sweet cedar, but it's still cedar and doesn't waste much time in going sour on me and edging me closer to a migraine.

 

To Aureus's credit, it's the first (possibly-)cedar scent that actually makes me terribly sad that I can't wear cedar scents. I may keep the imp around for a room scent simply for the memories it evokes, but that will be it.

[kyrielle]

I'm not good at picking out notes, but to me Aureus smells like nothing but moss - like I've stripped some off a tree in the forest and glued it to my wrist. Only without the itching and odd looks that would probably cause.

 

Based on the other reviews and sniffing the imp again, I'm betting that it's the cedar/patchouli, I can kind of pick those notes out if I try, they just blend together into something very mossy on me....

[mirutai]

This imp leaked in transit - oh, the humanity! So I only have a tiny drop to sniff and test.

 

From what I can tell, Aureus is straight-up, 100% amber. On me, at least. I like amber, but this is rather too much of a good thing. It's so overwhelming it goes a bit musty and rank.

 

Maybe some other notes were more volatile, and burned off through the leaky imp... but, from this small sample, Aureus is not for me.

[edenssixthday]

Aureus is almost entirely patchouli on my skin with the tiniest hint of amber. It’s a dry and musty smell and the scent suddenly whisked me back in time to a memory from 30 years ago, when I stepped into the cabin of a sailboat for the very first time. This particular boat hadn’t been used in a long time and the cabin was full of dust, cobwebs, and a multitude of daddy long-longs. Once we got the cabin aired out, cleaned out, and out on the open waters, the smell was gone, but in Aureus’ case, the smell lingers and doesn’t go away, even through multiple washings. Even after attempts to wash it off, it still has moderate throw and lasts for hours and hours. Definitely not a scent for someone who doesn’t care much for patchouli.

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

musky

 

wet:

golden musk

 

dry:

musky, patchouli, very warm golden scent, hint of a warm wood (sandalwood?)

 

overall:

not sure! I don't like it early on but it grows on me. Overall, I think I'll pass it on.

rating: 5/10

[faylie]

This reminded me a fair bit of Fenris Wolf but while that was a soft, dark warm brown Aureus is more of a honey copper colour. It had a bit of throw, but not a lot, just enough so I could keep getting wafts here and there through the day. I did a top up after lunch and that increased the throw a bit.

 

It's a very comforting, strengthening scent and I can see I'd wear this on days when I need a bit of emotional support.

[forspecial_plate]

I hesitate to review this yet...but what the hell...

 

Just got it today and it's definitely a favorite already. I think this is the one I've been looking for. Not much to add as far as descriptions....dry and very woody, and yes I get the 'golden' in the lab's description. Not a bold fragrance on me, a little sharp but mellow at the same time, and doesn't throw a lot, I don't think. Also doesn't change much on me, it smells the same now as when I put it on, just not as strong. This is a good thing. I like a scent to be in a small area around me, smellable only if you're standing right next to me (or closer ).

 

To really give an idea of how much I like it, I have 6 other imps to try, just got my order today. But as soon as I put this on, I knew I just wanted to smell like this for the rest of the day. The others can wait. Definite 5ml for me. I don't want a 10ml because I don't think I could use it up fast enough, and I don't want it to age and lose potency.

 

ETA: I think Aureus replaced Kingsport for my daytime scent. I think of Aureus as a professional, intelligent scent and it actually clears my head when I wear it to work. I think Djinn will always be my night scent.

Edited July 19, 2006 by Forspecial Plate

[m13]

In the Imp and on me, patchouli with a splash of cedar and maybe a bit of amber. Good throw -- it doesn't knock people over the head but it's certainly present, and a long-lasting scent too -- still sniffable on my wrist after 8 hours and a shower. Hardly any morphing, once the sharpness of cedar mellows after the first five or ten minutes.

 

I love almost anything with patchouli in it, and Aureus is no exception. This doesn't conjure up any images of golden light, instead I envision golden trees -- specifically that moment in early autumn when the leaves just have started to turn, the sky is brillant blue and the breeze is a bit warm still but with an edge of crisp coolness. Aureus is not something I'll want to wear now in mid-July because its just a bit much and doesn't quite resonate with the season for me. But I expect I'll be pulling this out often after I slog through the drippy, steamy summer and finally arrive in beautiful, wonderful Autumn. I might not buy a big bottle but I figure I'll get another imp or two.

[pink.owl]

I ordered an implet of this a long time ago, and I remember it not

working on me. This is a scent I wanted to try again, because my

tastes have evolved over the year+ that I have been into Black Phoenix

Alchemy Lab. I am thinking the description is what caused me to not

totally grasp the beauty of this scent before: I was expecting

something 'light' and yes, I realize the description reads "true,

perfect, golden light" but somehow in my mind I translated that into

light in body! Coming back to it now, I realize where Beth came from

with that, And wholeheartedly agree that it is incomparably glorious!

 

This scent is a patchouli-lover's olofactory orgasm. I have always

loved patchouli, so I am rather befuddled as to why I diddn't fall for

this the first time around. Aureus is woody and resinous and has light

and depth, it does feel golden to me. It feels like light falling

through amber resin, drenching me in honey-colored-amber warmth. I'm

hooked now, and feel I must go for a few bottles of this 'cause I have

the feeling a bit of aging could only make it better.

[Inanna9]

The amber in this is sweet and warm, but the initial herbal edge makes it a little too masculine for my taste until it finally dries and mellows out a bit.

 

The final result is really lovely--sweet, golden amber with a soft, musty patchouli and a very well-behaved note of cedar. I'm kind of torn, because it's very evocative and really gorgeous, but just not something I'm sure I want to smell like. Room scent maybe, and fantastic for a guy. I should probably try this again in the winter.

[sophia_helix]

This is great on my husband -- very earthy and full of sandalwood. I don't pick up amber like others, but amber doesn't show up on his skin very strongly. This is just the type of scent he likes, so it may be a bottle eventually.

[sestina]

Sadly, this is the imp that decided to explode all over my recent order en route. So I got no Aureus to try on skin, but my whole house smells of it at the moment. For me, this is not golden at all. It's more of a sharp dark green and brown. Perhaps Aureus suffers from having no skin to settle onto, but as it is, I don't think I'd reorder.

[seamor]

First on: Very resiny, kind of like being the inside of a new cedar-and-sandalwood box. I think most folks would consider this a masculine scent.

 

On dry down, I find the sweet note I expect from amber, but it stays very close to the skin. The spicy resin notes continue to throw. A bit of a sort of musty patchouli as well.

 

The resin reminds me of sandalwood, but not exactly. I can't quite place the difference. On me this scent is what they call "bracing". It clears the head and sharpens attention. I reapplied at lunchtime because it seemed to have faded. About 2:30 it suddenly came surging back, all by itself - it may have been a little much for a crowded meeting.

 

I do not associate this scent with a golden color, or with light. The patchouli darkens it considerably and makes it kind of dusty, and the amber (which would naturally make it feel warmer and lighter) is pretty much overwhelmed on me.

 

I'm not sure about this one. I may give it another try in a few weeks.

 

 

[mermaidrage]

I was really kind of disappointed in Aureus. It doesn't smell like golden light to me at all. It smells like hippie -- rather, it's VERY resinous which always smells dark and heavy to me. It sits on my skin and smells like dusty wood and patchouli. It's okay, but it's not anything I see myself wearing.

 

I think it's going off to one of my guy friends -- it seems like a very masculine scent to me.

[provocateur]

In bottle: Cedar

 

On skin, wet: Cedar!

 

On skin, dry: A very rich and warm golden.. cedar.

 

Conclusion: Cedar! I like cedar, primarily as furniture, however, I didn't mind too much smelling like that. I was hoping for more of the morph that other people seemed to have gotten.

 

Rating: 3/5

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

impsniff: patchouli diluted with sandalwood oil, with a bit of cedar.

and possibly a bit of dark (non-babypowder-type) amber, or something else resin-y.

 

skinsniff, wet: very faint patchouli and a bit of sandalwood.

 

skinsniff, dry:

well, that's the kicker. either my skin is overmoisturized or this oil is the thickest i've tried yet (thicker, even, than the Mandrake!) because after an hour i can still see the oil sitting on top of my skin where i dabbed drizzled slathered it on.

still-apparently-wet notwithstanding, the scent hasn't changed much except to add in just the eensiest bit of something cedarish.

 

i like this, but in sortof an odd way. i may not buy a bottle, but i will be keeping and using this imp.

[PilotKitten]

I can't get much of anything when I try this on. Strange. I'm going to try it on again in a second, I think the other scents I tried on earlier are interfering with sniffing this one. Nope... I wasn't wrong... I *am* getting sandalwood in this one... nothing but sandalwood sadly. My skin seems to amp up sandalwood something fierce so take heart if you're looking for something else in this one.

[bifemmefatale]

On: CEDAR! Huge amounts of cedar, backed with bits of amber and sandalwood. Fresh cedar sawdust like a small mammal cage, dry and thick. I like cedar a lot, but in this blend it's almost overpowering. On a guy, I think this could work. On me, it's too sharp. I'll stick with Tombstone if I want a cedar note-it's tempered with sweetness there.

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: I smell patchouli first off, but not just any patchouli. There’s a lot of patchoulis out there, my favorite of which is from Spiritual Sky, which this closely resembles. I get a whiff of something sweeter as well, honey maybe? Something woody is in there too; it reminds me of my cedarwood single note.

 

Wet: The woody note is on top for the moment, followed by something brighter: perhaps amber? This is reminding me of the result I get when I layer some of the other perfume oils I have.

 

Drying down: It is getting fainter when I stick my nose up next to it. But from higher up, I’m getting an ironically stronger smell. It’s sweeter now, beautifully so.

 

Dry: I love resinous / woody / sweet scents, so this one is delightful. It’s just a guess, but I think I smell cedar, patchouli, and amber. There might be some honey or vanilla in there too. This isn’t the blinding light of staring into the sun. Rather, this is the warm gold of firelight from a large bonfire.

 

Later: It softened a bit, losing a lot of the patchouli and cedar, but stayed bright and yummy. The vestiges are still hanging around 12 hours later! I like it.

[portalkat]

Aureus reminds me of Cathedral with the woods and incense. It doesn't have the floral notes and it's much brighter and less somber. Aureus is more like the inside of a church in the late afternoon light with the amber sun streaming in through the windows. Lovely and another hoardable blend.

[Vampy]

This one is WEIRD!

 

I got it in a gift of imps from the darling klavierbarrette, but I'd put off trying it because I didn't like it in the bottle. But, tonight I read someone in the recommendations section describing it as "gritty and resinous," and well, gritty and resinous is quite my thing, so I thought, hey, why not. And...

 

Opened the imp, and still didn't like the smell in the bottle. It was too sweet and strange and something floral was threatening to give me a headache. Then I cautiously dabbed just a little on, and - by god, it almost instantly morphed into something wonderful.

 

"Gritty and resinous" would be the right terms to use, yes. Golden, sweet and bright, with something black and gritty underneath, almost charcoal-like, fueling it. The only notes I can specifically pick out are amber and probably some myrrh. Someone mentioned cedar, and that might well be part of what's creating that sharp backdrop. I wish I could figure out what was creating that black char note, it's perfect. And quite strong, which is baffling, because it really just was not there in the imp.

 

It's a bit TOO gritty and sharp for slathering, I think, but I really like this. I might get a big bottle at some point.

[fiddledragon]

At first this is CEDAR. Cedar go WHOMP! I smell like a #2 pencil. As it dries, it turns into a beautifully melded cedar-sandalwood-frankincense, but there are other blends that do that on me which don't make me suffer through Essence of #2 Pencil. I just can't wear cedar in any quantity.

[aimeceleste]

This seems to be blended in some of my favorite oils. Is it a floral? It's some sort of mixture, but what is it?

 

Resin and myrrh are two of my favorite components - this was mentioned a lot in the previous reviews, and hey, if those are in this, great!

 

I gave it a 4 out of my personal scale of 5.