Spirit Board

[cherrycherry]

CRAZED THROUGH “OUIJA”

Neglected by Her Lover She Seeks Comfort of a Fortune-Telling Device

 

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Nov. 20.— Mrs. Eugenia Carpenter, a young woman living at 221 Myrtle, av., has been receiving attention from a young man who very recently ceased to call upon her.

Mrs. Carpenter bought a fortune-telling board called “ouija,” and from it received the prediction that her suitor would not return to her.

 

Last night she was found wandering almost nude in the streets.

 

Her reason was gone and at intervals she cried out “Ouija said so and I knew it was true.”

 

November 21st 1891

Boston Daily Globe

 

Redwood and bois de rose with white lilac, dried pink roses, and black tea.

 

Oooh, this is a very nice blend indeed. The redwood mingles effortlessly with the bois de rose and dried pink roses. The lilac is present but in no way overpowering. All of the florals together make for a gorgeously elegant and refined perfume. Makes me want to recline on a chaise lounge and fan myself with a peacock feather fan. Honourable mention for the black tea - just what this blend needs. The tea deepens the florals and adds mystery. This is going to age beautifully. 10/10

[Ashmedai]

It starts out with a scent that's oddly like strong red carnations, that mildly clove-y scent that isn't clove. But I think that's the redwood and black tea interacting. That settles down almost immediately and the rosewood (bois de rose) comes forward. Then it shifts again and the black tea scented with dried rose petals moves to the front. I can smell lilac beside it all, but very faintly at this stage. It gets stronger the more it dries, but it's never overpowering. Rosewood and redwood take center stage here alongside discreet florals and a tannic, slightly spicy note of black tea. It smells mysterious and almost (appropriately) Victorian-era spooky, and there's something that leaves an odd dusty impression, the way an old parlor would, or a cake of expensive soap manufactured 100 years ago that still carries a dusty trace of scent. I wasn't sure I'd like this one, but I'm really digging this!

[LiberAmoris]

Black tea! I love that note, so Spirit Board was a must-try. For sure, this the smell of a proper Victorian life gone a bit off the rails. I love the redwood note here—I'm not sure I've tried a blend with that note before. The rich redwood lasts all the way through the drydown, twining with the rosewood to give this staying power. A notch above, the black tea gives a sheen of refinement—and then it's a profusion of white lilac and pink rose at the top that the woods help to drag back down to earth. Ends as flowers and woods, with the black tea giving just a bit of edge. Very pretty and wearable.

[Bluestblood]

Disclaimer: I hate floral blends. The fact that I am even reviewing this should say something.

 

Redwood and beautiful demure roses softened and rounded out by the tea. The lilac is detectable but not overpowering. Overall, this is classy, classic and ageless; it has a vintage vibe to it.

 

In summary, this is gorgeous, and exudes innocence and mystery.

[unxolve]

Excellent. The rose and tea are everything I could have hoped for. If redwood and lilac are contributing to this beautifully balanced and just-right thing that is happening, I am all for it. My skin and black tea are made for each other. Perfect and delectable.

[TallGrrl78]

On wet - Sweet pink roses and tea. The tea note is really coming through on me and I'm quite happy about that as I love tea. You can smell the woods deepening the scent. Not sure if I get much lilac at this stage.

 

On drydown - The woods gain some strength and balance out with the roses and tea. The lilacs come into play a little bit more. This is a gorgeous blend of red/rose woods, sweet pink roses, lilacs, and tea.

 

It makes me think of spring as there is a lightness to this scent. Not light in throw, but light in feel. That being said, I could see wearing this year round as well. Very pretty. Sweet pink rose tea!

[Haltija]

Strong floral blends are not my thing at all. But I love rose and lilac so I figured, what the hey! And when I first tested this I did not like it at all. So I gave it a better full test today and the results are much better.

 

In the decant: Strong redwood and lilac. It makes my nose feel a little tingly.

 

Wet on the skin: The rose takes over everything and that's all I smell for a good while. I love single rose and this smells very comforting.

 

The more this dries down the rose calms itself and the woods begin to come back and the tea makes a appearance, almost giving the scent a wispy feeling. It's a little ethereal and really angelic smelling. I am liking this more than I did than the first time. Still don't think a bottle is needed seeing as I don't wear heavy florals often but this sure is nice!

Edited January 4, 2015 by Haltija

[Aviatrix]

This is a very elegant little scent. The rose is the strongest note, held in check by the wood and the tea, which come and go in and out of the scent as it dries down. The lilac is not very noticeable, though.

The black tea is not too strong, so if you're on the fence about the tea, you might want to check it out anyway!

 

This has a definite old-fashioned, Victorian vibe to it; a little bit elegant, a little bit dark, and a little bit whimsical.

 

I might need a bottle of this, even though I'm not sure when exactly to wear it.

[theseagrows]

this starts off with rose, rosewood and some tea, then the rose blooms fully and there's a slightly sweet candied rose happening. the lilac seems subtle and to be a supporting floral, rather than dominant like the rose is, but it definitely adds to the complexity of the scent. it does seem so victorian and evocative. after awhile it gets a little powdery and sweet, but remains primarily a rose scent. i like this a lot! i have so many rose scents, so i will most likely keep my decant and probably don't need a bottle.

[zankoku_zen]

Redwood, roses, and tea. This smells Victorian, like an old-timey rose perfume, and makes me think of either Victorian.Goth or Romanti.Goth (whichever was the rose inclined one). But yeah, that's what it reminds me of. Good throw, average wear length.

 

Woods, roses, tea.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Woody and sharp, with a hint of sweetness.

 

Wet on skin: Bitter woods. With just a touch of sweetness. Bittersweet?

 

Dried down: Still bitter wood. Funny enough, my fiance likes this better on me than Claircognizance (which is on my other wrist), whereas I like that one better. Different tastes, I guess.

 

Throw: Almost none on me, but I'm ok with that.

 

Verdict: *** I'm tempted to get a bottle because my fiance likes this on me, but I don't think I'd ever wear it, sinc eI don't like it as much. Maybe I'll try out the decant again sometime.

[macabre_fae]

This is beautiful. I'm smelling all the notes in order.

 

The polished rosewood of a seance table. A splash of rose water worn as perfume on the pulse points of the gypsy at the other end. The powdery lilac trail of ectoplasm left behind by a spectral presence, carrying along with it the scent of long dead and dried rose petals, perhaps from a funeral bouquet and the depth of dark black tea trying to decipher messages in a cup.

 

This definitely lives up to the name. I'm glad I got a bottle of this one!

[milo]

Soft floral at first. It doesn't smell like rose, so it must be the lilac. Dry, well, the dried roses dominate now, along with the wood, and a cologne vibe. There's a bit of a metallic twang that morphs back and forth between the roses. I like the dried roses, but not that fond of the cologne. This is nice to try, but no need for more.

[Eemia]

This is very strong when first applied, and sort of cologne tinged or masculine despite the florals. It really captured me right off the bat though I couldn't decide if I loved it or hated it. I'm a rose fan in general, and a bpal rose fan in particular, but couldn't familiarize myself with the rosiness in this one. I think the rosewood threw me off. It's very powerful and woody and earthy, and round, for lack of a better word. Anytime I smell rosewood I associate it with "roundness" or fullness in some way. It's a beautiful wood and so sensual in here. It does add a bit of an old fashioned flair, though not in a negative way.

 

The tea rose is lovely and delicate and dry, and I notice it more as the scent wears into my skin. It reminds me of the tea rose in Marie, my all time favorite fragrance. With my chemistry it can be a little perfumey but I actually adore that about it. The tea adds another herbal or earthy quality that pairs with the rosewood well and tempers the femininity of the tea rose. This does become powdery during the dry down but it's very subtle, unstuffy, and feels like a skin musk type of powder more than a dusty baby powder. Powdery dry downs turn me off more often than not so I'm relieved that this didn't become stuffy at all.

 

Overall this feels velvety and tactile and memorable and I love it.

[Little Bird]

I love LiberAmoris's review for this with the line: "the smell of a proper Victorian life gone a bit off the rails."

 

Spirit Board reminds me of Crimson Peak. It conjures up images of dark, polished wood, dead and dry roses in a vase of rosewater, cups of bitter tea set out in a dark room, and hints of faded men's cologne. The lilac comes through in the drydown, and I love lilac and the hint of sweetness that it adds. The whole thing swirls together as a woody, gothic, slightly masculine, dark floral on my skin.

[roseus]

A beautiful, wistful fragrance. Starts out very wood prominent, polished and slightly bitter. I think the tea adds some warmth to this base. The dried rose adds to this old perfume vibe (not in bad way at all), and the lilac brings some sweetness and freshness.

[LizziesLuck]

2017 version:

 

I did a cold sniff of a bunch of my Yule decants, trying to decide what to try first. This one called out to me way more than I would have expected!

 

Wet: This is lovely! Something about the lilac with tea feels a bit like a fougere, but a feminine fougere, if that makes sense? I don't always like tea, it often goes really bitter on me. It is starting to do that here - hope the scent settles and recovers as it dries - I adore lilac.

 

Dry: Sweet, pale, no-descript, perfumey floral. That likely doesn't sound nearly as appealing as it smells, but it is the best way I can describe it. Extremely classic and wearable. It smells refined, elegant. Very feminine. I think I am getting mostly sweet rose and lilac, with the tea as a base. I don't get any of the wood, but it does have some warmth to it. A lovely, classic fragrance. I will need to test it again before I make any decisions, as it was fresh out of the mail today.

[Teamama]

Spirit Board: A wonderful surprise. I didn't get a decant because bois de rose is risky on me. Sometimes my skin just turns that note to varnish. I was gifted a bottle by a lovely forumite, and it is turning out to be a winner.

 

In the bottle: Syrupy wood, almost lemony. Flowers? Tea? Undetectable.

 

Wet: Rich, not as woody as I had imagined it would be. Lilac & dried rose are present and accounted for. Tea, maybe. Kind of dry, a little bit soapy. Still hoping for wood.

 

Dry: Finally, some wood! Sweet woody floral, with a hint of tea. Very nice. Fortunately, the redwood, flowers & black tea keep the bois de rose in balance.

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle

Tea rose and a soft, woodsy note. I swear that tea rose is NOT sweet like other roses. This is tea rose.

 

Wet on skin

This remains rose-based, but expands upon that note to include the bois de rose and a little bit of lilac. I'm not getting any tea yet.

 

Dry on skin after 30 minutes

Rather than come out as a strong tea note by itself, the tea here links everything together and makes this floral blend a little bit less... Floral. It's like GC London but elevated into something more sinister, a little more sophisticated.

 

Thoughts

A+, would buy another bottle if this comes back. In contrast to other rose-based blends in my collection, this doesn't have an extreme amount of throw. I wouldn't call this a good scent for people who dislike rose, but if you like rose but don't like to be engulfed in it, this might be one to try if you get a chance.

[Lucchesa]

A generous PIFer recently gave me a chance to try some scents that were not quite in my wheelhouse.  I love lilac and woods, but rose is problematic on me.  And while I enjoy the black tea note, my skin tends to obliterate it.  As I might have guessed, Spirit Board is all rose on me.  The lilac is there, but it's like there's one sprig of lilac in a bouquet of pink roses. The woods are surprisingly quiet, and I can't make out the tea at all.  This would be beautiful on a rose lover!  It's too overwhelmingly floral for me.  

[Ennikar]

Much more floral than I was expecting based on reviews, especially in the drydown - there was a hint of tannins and woods at the beginning, but the drydown is all melancholy florals. Perfectly nice ones, maybe a touch melancholy and supported by the other notes, but I got mostly dry rose and lilac.

[Cali]

Reminds me of between your heart and mine- a woody rose but here it's touched by a fresh lilac and a milky black tea. It's simple, but very enjoyable.