Of the Unicorn

[HerbGirl]

Patchouli absolute, white orris, agarwood, and ambrette seed.

Wow.

Something comes across as honey or beeswax ish which I can't stand on my skin. In the next 15 minutes it transforms and blossoms...the patchouli and orris are a great combo. It reminds me of an earthier Dance of Death (which I love) and then I think I start smelling the ambrette and it turns into an almost sweet, sensual outdoorsy scent. Whatever it is, it smells comforting and I can only imagine how well this will age. It feels like a late Autumn scent to me, so I will put it away till then. Another beautiful creation and I am happy to have a bottle.

ETA: I give. I cannot stop huffing my wrists...it feels like Our Lady of Pain with the lavender replaced with orris...feels. Absolute love. I think I need a bottle to cellar...anyone waffling on this? Don't. It is a masterpiece.

ETA 2: this keeps getting better. I had to edit the funky bit I wrote because it just isn't happening anymore. Pure love. Edited August 16, 2016 by Herb Girl

[bheansidhe]

This is a dry, earthy, husky patchouli-and-woods blend, with ambrette lending a nutty warmth. This isn't the toothy, gnarly patch in Banshee Beat. It smells autumnal and polished. It has a very male feel to it, but it's nothing like a cologne; more like a carved and oiled wooden statutette of a forest god.

 

I normally pass on anything with orris, but this one is beautifully done.

[Dark Alice]

This is just beautiful. The patchouli started off rough but, it has dried down to the most beautiful, ambrette, patchouli, orris scent. This is a must have.

[Little Bird]

I love patchouli, and I've tried so many amazing patchouli fragrances in the 15+ years that I've been collecting fragrances. I wasn't sure that I was going to need a bottle of this, but I do. Such a good, rich, heavy patchouli with nuances of pine needle, forest floor and sap. Agarwood/oud is hit or miss on me, but I love the slightly smoky, rich, dry woodiness in this. The orris is barely there for me, adding a hint of sweetness to the natural chewy sweetness that patchouli can sometimes have. I was worried about the orris turning powdery, but I'm not getting powder from this at all.

 

It's hard to explain different types of patchouli, but this one is a love for me. Forest floor, golden sweetness, black earth and gold, sweet tones, with a dark woodiness to it... just... mmmm.

 

I'm definitely keeping my bottle, and it's going to be hard to resist buying a backup bottle or two.

[LiberAmoris]

Of the Unicorn is definitely earthy—that's such a good word for it, Herb Girl! It's patchouli-dominant on me but far from simple. The orris, agarwood, and ambrette add subtle notes of violety oudh, sweet soil, a hint of woodsmoke, and an undercurrent of cinnamon-vanilla animalic musk. The result is a sexy, earthy patchouli blend that's also gentle and very relaxing to wear.

[zankoku_zen]

Masculine, earthy, patchouli with ambrette and agarwood. Masculine, and heady. Good throw and wear length.

[VetchVesper]

This comes across more woody than earthy on me. Bheansidhe's description of a forest idol is spot on. It smells nice b/a bit too masculine on me, probably b/c I'm not getting any orris. I'm curious how this one will age though.

[Casablanca]

Orris and patchouli, skipping hand-in-hand.

This seems a chewy patchouli to me, in the way that some tobacco notes are chewy. The orris is a ghostly, powdery presence next to it. Of the agarwood/oud, and the ambrette, I get a blended hint, together forming a woody and slightly nutty background. This is a very base-notey blend.

After an hour, Of the Unicorn is a dusty, powdery earth scent on my skin. Hours later, I can barely catch it.

[Ennikar]

I love wood, nutty blends, masc blends, and even dirty patch, and have recently allowed myself to admit I like unicorns too, so I tried really hard to like Of The Unicorn. I can smell what others love in it (woody patch, soft ambrette and orris), but for me in the year of our lord 2024, something (I assume the agarwood) has gone funky in a way I find distracting and, well, not good (to be clear, not rancid - just not to my taste). I don't usually have issues with the "fecal"/indolic thing, so it was an unpleasant surprise, and it might just be a me issue because when asked others have said it smells good on me, but I will sadly have to stick with less mystical patchouli blends.

Edited August 23 by Ennikar