The Dead Can Yearn and the Dead Can Smite

[crimescenecleanup]

Fear not that sound like wind in the trees:
It is only their call that comes on the breeze;
Fear not the shudder that seems to pass:
It is only the tread of their feet on the grass;
Fear not the drip of the bough as you stoop:
It is only the touch of their hands that grope -
For the year's on the turn, and it's All Souls' night,
When the dead can yearn and the dead can smite.

Agarwood, black musk, grave moss, and yew berries.

 

Hmmm. This is pretty much exactly what the description says...only softer.

The yew berries are similar to the Rappacini's Garden Yew Trees blend, the graveyard moss is green and fresh, the black musk is very recognizable from other blends, and the agarwood is definitely present.

However, what I expected to come together in a very woodsy, earthy and masculine blend instead comes out very muted. Each note in this is a very gentle version of itself.

These are awfully polite smiting dead. This is the scent of a very peaceful and well-tended burial ground.

It is like walking through one of those Victorian Era park-like cemeteries early in the morning. You feel something brush against your shoulder. Was it a ghostly hand, or simply a falling leaf?

On drydown it all melds together into something mossy, cool and clean, powdery with a hint of musk. It is like Graveyard Dirt's ultrafemme little sister.

 

There is a slight hint of something sharp, and for lack of a better word - poisonous - lingering in this scent. Maybe it is part of the yew berry accord, or maybe it is just a part of the unpredictable funkiness that is agarwood.

 

However, it is just a tiny hint, and not enough to change the overall impression. This is a soothing scent, one with a light touch.

I am curious to see how this ages, and if it will develop more depth over time.

[Jenjin]

Wet, mossy and softly clean smelling, this is just a bit different than I was expecting. It is very fresh and green overall, and i'm searching for the grave note. Herbal forest fresh, the drydown goes beautifully without any bitterness that can happen with agar. I can see this as a unisex scent and with some time, the black musk could deepen and give the balance a bit more depth. I'm not getting too much of it at this point, but can see this aging very well. Quite lovely like a velvety green hillside clearing in a forest.

Edited November 7, 2016 by Jenjin

[alyelle]

In the imp: Moss, yew berry and aquatics, and a dash of spice that may or may not have been from my chapstick.

 

Wet: Musty agarwood with overtones of moss, topped with a sweet berry note.

 

Dry: A warm, long-lived wood with a soft spicy musk spine. Best after the 3-4 hour mark when the morphing ends and it stabilises. Full lifespan is around 12 hours, with medium throw.

 

Stars: ★★★½