Yggdrasil

[jasmine]

The World Ash. Nine woods, nine leaves, and three herbs each for Ratatosk and Vidofnir, with three final herbs to placate Nidhogg.

This smells like power. I expected something woodsy and pretty, but this is stark and strong and wooded -- not merely the Norse tree, but the tree in all its glory, with Odin hung on the branches to learn the tongue of runes. I am taken quite aback.

Once I recover enough from that first shock to pick out notes, I notice something minty on the top, with a strong, wooded base underneath. The mint isn’t high enough to be frankincense, but it’s too high to be spearmint and not sugary enough to be peppermint, so I’m stumped on a straight identification. As far as the woods go, I think there’s some cedar and some kind of pine, and maybe a touch of eucalyptus. I don’t have a prayer of identifying anything else in here.

Yggdrasil is more masculine than feminine, but I don’t think it’s overtly out of place on a woman, and it appeals to me personally. It makes me want to sit up straight and stare the world in the eye without blinking. It’s a scent of command. And it has endurance: hours later, it’s still perceptible.

I have no doubt that I will wear this again.

[wikkidraven]

an extremely strong twin to vicks vapo-rub or bengay. this one even burns my skin, and that hardly EVER happens to me, even with ginger and cinnamon bpal blends.

 

eek!

[Carmencita]

In the vial: mint, herbs, shrubs, forest loam

 

wet: pale mint, moss, tree bark, dew

 

drydown: powdery itchy mint and vague clay-like herbs

 

verdict: I originally LOVED this scent. Enough to get a bottle which is big for me considering how small my bottle collection is. But for some reason, the more I try it, the less I like it. It might make a nice room scent, but I don't like it on me any more.

 

It is pretty earthy, but also a little nose-itchy.

[jade_starlight]

In the bottle, this is overpoweringly herby. Wet, it softens up a bit and the sharp herby scent fades into the background behind the woods and moss. It's nice enough, in moderation, but even a little too much starts to burn my sinuses and gives me a headache. Off to the swaps.

[porcelina]

it smells green and wet. i'm sorry i can't be more specific. it's not what i expected at all, but not too shabby!

 

ADDED 10/27/08:

 

yggdrasil is woodsy in a pale, light way, if that makes any sense. light woods and a dusting of herbs. there is something almost minty here, to my nose.

[neuilly]

Frimp from the lab!!

 

Definitely wasn't something I would have thought to buy myself but it's intriguing. It comes off as rather sweet on me...sweet minty woods. Rather nice for a woods scent but I don't actually enjoy wearing scents with wood notes. Would be something beautiful adn different though for someone who did enjoy the wood oils!

[Nia]

I assumed that nine woods and nine leaves meant some cedar, cypress, or something of what gave me a sinus headache in Odin, so I wanted to get this one out of the way and on the swap pile. Surprise, surprise: the scent is a lot more herbal than woodsy, and there is no bitterness. I upsets my sinuses a little bit, but it is probably because they still feel bad after the Odin.

 

I loved the myths around Yggdrasil as a child (yes, I was a geek even back then) and this feels really lovely. Grounding, comforting, a bit severe, but that's fine. Lacking any aromatherapeutic or ritual oils, this is what I would use if I wanted a self-confidence blend.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Fresh, uncut wood and leaves...a slight tang of herbs

 

Wet: I quite like this--it smells like fresh woods--almost like I brushed my skin against growing wood and then rubbed crushed leaves over it...this is really very nice, and not at all an intimidating wood like Kathmandu or Odin.

 

Drydown and wear: The wooded note gets stronger on the drydown, but there is still a lovely freshness behind it. This is one of my favorite BPAL wood blends that I have tried. It's a warm wood instead of a cold wood like a Black Forest, and there's enough "life" in it with the greenery to not feel too bleak (which was my problem with Odin).

[melrose]

First on and near drydown: Necco Wafers. It's a dead ringer. I'm not crazy about those candies, and this is making me a little nauseous. It dries down to a spicy, powdery blend that's nice if unremarkable. Not bottle-worthy, I'm afraid.

[n1k1ta]

Drydown is peppermint Altoids. I kid you not! Minty fresh! Curiously strong! Freakin' weird! Immediately after drydown comes eucalyptus with a companion of fresh, dark herbs. After that came the lemon.

 

In a word, Yggdrasil is confusing.

 

There's something very astringent in this perfume. Very crisp and clean. There's a masculine quality that's very appealing, but depending one's chemistry, it may not read as masculine.

[laliloo]

I got this as a frimp with my last lab order.

 

I haven't tried many 'woody' scents as yet. This one is more successful than Hamadryad that I was so disappointed with, but it still has a slightly 'medicated' smell on me that reminds me of a doctor's surgery, unfortunately. It is very woodsy when wet, but astringent and medicated once it dries.

[vegasblueblood]

This is very woody and very herbal. There is something sharp in it, almost like mint. At first it was so sharp that it kind of made me draw back from it but it has quickly mellowed into a medicinal, fresh, herbal scent. As I typing that, it went woody and it now a mint and wood blend on my skin. Very fresh and reminds me of a herbal salve or poultice. One of the thing's I love best about Beth's blends is how different notes keep emerging and coming and going and this blend does exactly that.

[303marlena]

This scent is definitely in my top ten, or at least top ten GC scents! It smells like the odor of the trees and vegetation when you are walking in the woods and the leaves are in varying stages of decomposition. When the sun is peeking through a thick canopy of leaves and making the scent warm up in the piles of vegetation on the forest floor. There is a dusty dry leaves odor mixed with the scent of the bark and the fresh leaves also. I don't smell any pine or citrus. There is a smell of lovely dried herbs in the background, but I don't dectect any specific smells such as lavender or mint. The "bark" smells like either cedarwood or sandalwood.

 

Definitely this scent captures the olfactory essence of the "world tree."

 

I would say its the quintessentual wooded scent. Brilliant!

[Babylon]

I had high hopes for Yggdrasil, but unfortunately my skin doesn't like it, and it ends up smelling medicinal, like Ben Gay or a menthol cough drop. Very minty/wintergreeny also. I can't even smell the wood, that medicinal scent is so powerful.

[naiade]

I LOVE Yggdrasil!

 

I am so happy I swapped for this. Why?

 

I have been looking for the perfect woodsy scent for a while. I shy away from masculine scents, so I've been picky. But Yggdrasil is light and woody, laced with a top note of sweet minty menthol goodness. I heart wearing this in the summer, because it reminds me of bygone, cooler weather without being icy or ozoney.

 

[4492]

Finally got round to actually WEARING this (I ordered it ages ago and was only brave enough to sniff it from the imp)

 

In the imp: Very herbal, can't quite pick out exactly which herbs though. A slight medical undernote

 

Wet: Woah...where did that mint come from? Still herbally but seeming more wood-like than "sprinkle in your cooking"

 

Drydown: All I can think of is visiting the garden nursery with my grandparents about ten years ago. It smells exactly like that. The mint has faded away a bit but if I sniff hard enough it pops back up. A sweet note has replaced the medical one.

 

A very subtle scent but with a lot of throw. I found it reassuring and comforting. When the imp runs out I may replace it with a proper bottle.

[lilirose]

In the imp: Mint. Pure mint.

 

Wet: Still mint. I was thinking "So where are the trees?"

 

Drydown: I think I just fell in love. It smells like a walk in an ancient wood. I expected it to be purely masculine, but it's not, and the evergreen/pine note is subtle enough to keep it from smelling like bathroom cleaner.

 

This is another one I think I want a 5ml of, but I'm not sure I'd wear it often. It'd be great for scenting a room, if the "woodsy" notes could be coaxed out of the initial minty smell. I'll try it in a oil burner and edit this post later to report on how that works out.

[spicyelenore]

Wowee! I'm glad I tried this, even though I passed over it initially. It started out a pleasing wintergreen, sweet but definitely sharp. The sharpness intensified and mingled a bit with woodsy herbs. This smells like a real wintergreen smell, not like wintergreen gum but like some of the spices in home made (or quality made) root beer. The wintergreeny smell fades a bit and becomes more well rounded and herbal, less sharp. I think this would be a great scent for waking up when you feel sleepy or out of it. Keeper!

[Emera]

Argh. This must share a wood note with Ulalume, because it did nearly the same thing on me - it was entirely an unpleasant, artificial mint, like an airplane bathroom disinfectant. Another of those scents for which I really wish I had more to say...! I got a hint of herbal scent underneath, but I couldn't stand the mint and had to scrub it off my wrist after about 10 minutes.

Edited August 20, 2007 by Emera

[JenM]

In the imp: leafy and green, with a hint of I think it’s eucalyptus by the way it hits my sinuses and nose.

 

On the wrist: yes, leafy eucalyptus. And a hint of pine as well. Or possibly cedar, now it’s drying down.

 

Oh, it smells lovely, but it ‘s beginning to burn. Must wash it off. Damnation. Swaps.

[stardreamer]

In the imp and fresh on, this is piney/sharp. However, it mellows out very quickly to a more herbal/spicy blend, in which I can't identify any specific notes. I never picked up even a hint of the minty or eucalyptus notes a lot of people have mentioned. It doesn't have a lot of throw, and gets a bit sweeter over the long term. I thought it was going to end up being a second-rank scent or even a swap, but the drydown has moved it up on the scale. Even R. says it's not obnoxious, which is something! Bottom line: definitely a keeper.

[aquazoo]

Very medicinal scent. It mellows down into just the herbs, but they still smell like a cure for something.

[FallDaze]

In the imp this is a very powerful scent. It's woodsy and piney and has a little sweentess underneath it all.

 

On this turns into a very very minty Christmas tree scent. Like a pie slathered in a very sweet mint, and something almost berry-ish underneath it all.

 

After a while it turns into an herbal soapy powder scent. It smells like the smudge sticks my mum used to have. It was nice, but a little strong and would give me a bit of a headache after too long.

[Fright]

I sniffed this in the bottle a couple times. It smelled nice. It smelled too masculine for me though. I always tucked it away. Finally, on Friday, I only worked a 3 hour shift. I said, "Well, screw it. It's only 3 hours. We'll give this a whirl." OH I AM SO HAPPY I DID! It smells sooo nice on me. Herbally and woodsy. I adore it. Mmmm.

 

I don't get the minty smell that other people do, though..

[hkhm]

imp: this smells almost just like ferns and cottonwood trees to me. an extremely green scent.

 

wet: this is such a shrubby tree-like scent i just can't put my finger on it. there's almost a faint aquatic note at the very back that reminds me of quiet little brooks running beneath a canopy of trees in late summer dusk. it's a lovely scent.

 

dry: it just fades to a softer green scent. this is a quite amazing blend. much like zombi, it is exactly like the description. i'm really impressed.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Shollin