When Nothing Was

[Jenjin]

Gangleri said: “What was the beginning, or how began it, or what was before it?” Hárr answered: “As is told in Völuspá:

Erst was the age | when nothing was:
Nor sand nor sea, | nor chilling stream-waves;
Earth was not found, | nor Ether-Heaven,–
A Yawning Gap, | but grass was none.”

The darkness beyond darkness, nothing before nothing, the time before all: an opium-dark void, lightless in nihility, silent in nonbeing.

This is like a dark sorceress potion, swirling you around in a star filled sky. Seductive, slightly sweet, coca/opium at the front, it takes my breath away with its exotic smoke. It is not heavy or overbearing in any way, beautifully blended and smooth.
There's mischief here, creeping into your head as if trying to intoxicate or subdue. I see this as more of a nighttime fragrance, but could definitely wear it during the day myself.
Addictive and enchanting, I can't shake the memory of this one, it is velvety, mysterious and overall "noir". I can see this aging exquisitely 

Edited May 27, 2021 by Jenjin

[kscha2017]

On me, this smells like ... well ... nothing. But a nothing with potential. It brought a strong image of the blackness of space with the tiniest pinpoint of silver starlight just barely beginning to become visible, perhaps more like a feeling rather than actual seeing. Rather ineffable. Very unlike anything I've encountered before. Brilliant!

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Opium, opoponax....and is that a hint of dark leather? Nope, not leather. Hmmm. This is dark and smoky. I struggle with opium sometimes - it can go really soapy, or high pitched and headache inducing, but this is lovely. And I may be wrong about the opoponax, might be labdanum or galbanum instead - it's rich and syrupy, sweet and resinous, but not quite doing that cola thing that opoponax does. This is really good. It's going to age like a dream. I may have to have a bottle. Is that coal dust? This is so hard to decipher what's in it. It's so much more than straight up opium though, so those afraid it'll be a single note, I wouldn't be. Wow, this is good!

 

 

Dry: Though not an opium single note, it is opium dominant. It hasn't gone soapy or "screechy" on me, which is great- - there's a dark, sweet resin in there that is beautiful and keeping this grounded on me. It's a fantastic scent, different than anything I own (since opium is usually so unsuccessful on me). I do think I will likely end up with a bottle. I may not wear it a ton, but I feel it's something special, and I need it in my collection.

[freyasfae]

Yep, that's definitely opium. I got this accidentally, so it's already out of my realm of usual scents...where it shall stay.

Edited February 14, 2017 by freyasfae

[sprout]

Holy Coca Cola. I finally understand what you guys mean when you say a scent smells like cola.

 

This is resin heaven. Which is appropriate if I think about it. I can't really tease out any notes except Opium, which varies between peppery floral and hairspray and the Coca-Cola resin, that I'm guessing is opoponox or labdanum, or perhaps both. Wet, it has a fizzy quality, like a carbonated beverage!

 

The Opium note disappeared on drydown and I was left with a sweet resin buzz. I have a hard time describing but it's fuzzy and plush, like black velvet.

 

I need multiple bottles and I really want to know what note smells like Coca-Cola incense.

[zankoku_zen]

Resinous opium (a bit Coca Cola-esque) but in general, its a fuzzy, plush opium. Slinky. Good throw and wear length.

 

For me, this is pretty much Opium SN. LOVE IT.

[Dancing Raven]

One word: soapium.

You read that correctly. From start to finish it is pure, unadulterated, soapy opium. I love resins, and I was hoping to get something deep and dark. Maybe some sweet myrrh to balance things out, but it's single note opium. Nothing more, nothing less. This definitely isn't working on my skin at all.

0 out of 5 stars for me, unfortunately.