The Robe of Pomegranates

[GoldenRubee]

The Queen who creates and cultivates all that sustains us on this plane: ripe red pomegranate and bakhoor oudh, honeyed incense, fig and ambrette seed, sandalwood and carnation.

The Robes of Pomegranates-I bought this blind, and I’m glad I did. Oude is sometimes iffy on me and I have always wanted to get a Lab pomegranate that I truly love. All the only notes are notes of win. I received my bottle yesterday and let it rest until today. This is really great, and everything I was hoping it would be. The pomegranate is deep and rich and the sandalwood and honey pair very well together but is not too sweet. I do smell the carnation after thirty minutes or so with perhaps some stem too. All around a perfect scent for me!

[spookyumbrella]

Very subtle, soft pomegranate surrounded by a cloud of oud and incense with the tiniest whisper of carnation. This is exactly how the Empress would smell - rich and womanly, but also comforting.

[samanare]

I would definitely describe this as a pomegranate scent without it being very sweet and a foodie scent. I personally cannot pick out any of the other notes individually, but they all come together to balance each other out to make a sweeter scent (I think its the honeyed incense and the carnation) and to deepen the pomegranate without overpowering it.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the bottle: Flowers and fruit. I was a little worried about the fruit, but so far so good.

 

On me, wet: The same. I like it that the pomegranate doesn't dominate, so that the scent doesn't come off as foody.

 

At 5 minutes: I get a hint of wood and incense, less fruitiness and florals. All of the notes are so well-blended and equally balanced that it is very difficult to separate out any particular note. It's just a lovely perfume, very difficult to describe.

 

At 10 minutes: Maybe just a tiny bit more floral, but basically the same. I seem to be picking up more fig than pomegranate - it's more of a mild fruity sweetness than red fruit. The honey could be contributing to that.

 

At 20 minutes, I get more of the oudh, sandalwood, and incense, but the honey, fig, and carnation notes are still there. I never have gotten much pomegranate in this. I agree that this is a warm, gentle, and comforting fragrance. None of the authority or sternness I'd expect from an Empress. It fits the meaning of the card rather than the title. Which seems appropriate.

 

At 30 minutes, the carnation is beginning to take a place up front, making this even nicer.

 

At 45 minutes: The bottom notes of oudh, sandalwood, and incense are moving up. It's less sweet, and no longer very fruity at all. There's still a soft floral presence.

 

At 1 hour: Those bottom notes have lightened up and the scent is predominantly floral. Interesting how these two aspects of the blend keep trading places. It now reminds me of a very classic, and classy, perfume. Again, perfect for the Empress.

 

At 3 hours: No further change in the character of the scent. It just faded away gradually and is almost completely gone now.

 

Verdict: I'm a little disappointed not to smell more pomegranate. I was hoping for a distinct, juicy, realistic pomegranate note (while at the same time feeling nervous that this might be too fruity for me. Go figure.) I've never gotten that from any of the pomegranate blends I've tried. Granted, I haven't tried very many, given my aversion to foody perfumes. In all honesty, I'm sure I like this better the way it is and will wear it much more often than I would a fruity perfume. But it would have been interesting.

 

But just as I said above about the gentleness of the scent, this is about who the Empress really is, rather than the appearance or title of the card. It's what her robe would actually smell like in real life. Of course it doesn't smell like actual pomegranates, these pomegranates are just designs worked in thread. The character or essence of pomegranate is something just hinted at, an impression rather than an actual piece of fruit. The concept and the way it is achieved is quite brilliant!

 

My rating: 5 out of 6 stars

Edited August 31, 2018 by Ghost of a Rose

[zankoku_zen]

Pom, carnation, and incense. This smells red, lush, and carnation with tinges of other things. Medium throw and wear length.

[artisjok]

Robe of Pom is tart and perfumy in its wet phase, not really a juicy pomegranate. The tang of the pom last for a good while on me. As the scent dries, a softness from the ambrette seed and sandalwood surrounds the tang. Probably, the incense contributes to this, as well. 

There’s a bit of the carnation floral spice threaded through the scent, especially in wet phase, but it’s light on me. Getting only a light touch of honey, thankfully. 

I wish I were getting the oudh... all good, even so. (I’m a little sneezy today, too, so I could be missing some of the experience... aiiiii) I just realized fig is in the description, but I’m not picking it out. 

It’s a sophisticated blend. A regal pomegranate surrounded by sacred smoke. Gentle yet powerful, a mother and a queen. Yes, I see the Empress’ robe smelling this way. 

[Lucchesa]

I had a strange reaction to Robe of Pomegranates.  I actually applied it twice because I couldn't tell that it was on my wrist.  In other words, wet, I could barely make it out.  There are a few scents that my skin seems to devour immediately, but this isn't in the usual category for that (which is library).  All these notes are usually perfectly clear on me.  It was the oddest thing.  

 

Within about half an hour, my skin seemed to let go of the scent and let it emerge.  It was still fainter than most blends on me, and it was hard to make out individual notes, but I got a sense of its personality.  Warm, grounded, gentle.  It's not a big juicy pomegranate; it's certainly not an indolic oudh.  It's all subtly woven together, like a robe, I guess.  It's beautiful and I wish my chemistry let it shine a bit more.  

[Kytha]

I've had this for a couple of years now and while it didn't make an impression on me on initial testing, I've fallen in love with it to the point I'm considering investing in a second bottle. This is not a pom-forward scent -- what comes across most strongly on me is the honeyed incense and oudh, sweetened with fig and an impression of fruit.

 

Others have commented that this is a well-blended scent with stuff that's hard to pick out and I'd have to agree! It's 'golden' without being a 'hot' scent, if that makes sense -- some of the lab's 'fruit' scents evoke pastry and warm ovens, but  rather than an impression of warmth, I find myself thinking of iced, candied/spiced fruit, lovely and cooling on a warm day. Concentrated but not overwhelming sweetness, with a bit of bite.

[bambi]

I have to agree with Kytha above me: this is largely honeyed incense, oudh, and an impression of fruit. When I opened the decant, I could smell the pomegranate, and something just this side of... ehem... poopy... I knew that was the oudh, though, so it didn't phase me. I also got a strong impression of honey before I put it on. Wet, I was hit with a wave of something that smelled like pine. Like, very much of pine. Maybe the oudh mixing with the sandalwood? Drying down, I get some of the floral from the carnation, but it was largely woody and incensey. The pomegranate was nowhere to be seen. Fully dry and rested on my wrist for a while, I got faint honey, and the slightest edge of fruit. Overall, this is a very mature, grounded scent. Absolutely beautiful on the right person, but not for me.