We Wear The Mask

[zankoku_zen]

This poem – this song – is one that has moved me since my childhood, and it’s so incredibly difficult to translate it into scent. I don’t know if I am capable of doing honor to Dunbar’s words; all I can do is craft something that is akin to how much this makes my heart clench. The scent I have chosen is a soft lavender with dry woods, carrot seed and iris, sandalwood smoke, and wisteria.

[Failmingo]

I guess I will dive in and write the first review, since I've worn this nearly every day since it was released!

 

In the bottle this is a staid and solemn lavender, with a mellow smoky quality that ends up seeming almost creamy to me -- that's probably the sandalwood. Or maybe that's just how the overall savory nature of this blend reads to me. 

 

I paused over the carrot seed, because while I appreciate the role it plays in the storytelling, it's just not a scent I find myself drawn to, or want to embody. However, it's VERY subtly blended into this perfume. I know the note well but I'm not sure I'd track it if I hadn't read it was there.

 

Fresh on the skin the iris and wisteria notes step out and kind of sing through the grey lavender haze. Still doesn't read as terribly flowery to me, the smoke and lavender holding court. Reminds me of BLACK HAUS, except that blend's leather etc. is so distinctive that you'd never mix them up.

 

As it dries I get almost a beeswax scent, that's still definitely the smoke and sandalwood uplifted by the thin floral notes. It smells very much of the natural world, in a way that's meant to tug at the human heart. Decent throw and wear length!

 

While I know the concept of the scent isn't terribly romantic, it has a terribly mysterious and emotive quality that I can imagine accompanying romantic feelings -- the peril, as well as the comfort. Completely genderless, in a way I personally find very affirming.

 

It's been hard to pick a fave out of this collection, I don't think I could have consciously done it, but like I said, this is the one I have ended up reaching for over and over. I can't wait to read other folks' impressions!

[Poenari]

Paul Laurence Dunbar was from and is buried Dayton, OH and his legacy is a huge part of local history here, and I immediately ordered a bottle. This beautiful poem is unfortunately more relevant than ever. 

 

My words are not sufficient to describe this perfume, but I can't stop huffing my arm whenever I wear it, and I've been wearing it lot since it arrived. Initially a sweet wisteria and lavender, then the sandalwood appears and keeps it from being too herbal or floral. The notes are so well blended that they mingle and waft, but with a big throw. This doesn't morph on me after drydown, just softens, but it lasts forever. When I wear it to bed, I can still smell it in the morning. If I wave my arm at full length in front of my face when first applied, I am enveloped in a soft cloud of the most beautiful, and yet somehow sorrowful, scent. Heart clenching indeed. This is amazing.

[Lucchesa]

We Wear the Mask doesn't feature a very promising set of notes for me, but... the poem.  Plus I'm interested in getting a better handle on carrot seed.  Lavender never lasts on my skin.  Unsurprisingly, We Wear the Mask opens with lavender, darker than most, but my skin devours it promptly.  What lasts is the very elegant blend of lightly smoky sandalwood, wisteria and iris, and the curious, slightly bitter tang of carrot seed.  Iris and wisteria are not on the short list of florals I enjoy wearing, but the blend is haunting and has a kind of austere beauty, with neither floral nor wood notes predominating. (The iris does not go powdery on me, if that is a concern for some.)  I can't decide whether to keep the decant because it expresses the verses so aptly or to pass it on to someone who would wear it more often.  

[Okupsidedown]

We Wear the Mask

 

In the bottle: Lavender and carrot seed! It's lovely!

 

Wet: I was on the phone when I put this on and described it as beautiful light unisex cologne. It's still very lavender and carrot seed forward with those lovely, dry woods. The iris and wisteria are way off in the background, for which I'm grateful. I wouldn't say I smell smoke, but there is a sexy, smokey layer.

I would literally climb someone wearing this. Climb. Like a sex dancer pole. I've been searching for someone who smells like this my whole life, and I didn't know it. Mmphh!

 

Whatever, I don't need to say any more, this is one of the sexiest scents I've ever smelled. Jeez! I might get a bottle and decant the whole thing and just give it to people I'm... dancing with.

[Penance]

Preconceived notions:

 

I wasn't sure if I should buy this.  I'm not sure why I bought this (other than supporting a good cause), but it was calling to me.  Me.  Hater of virtually all florals.  I don't even know what carrot seed smells like, let alone whether I've even smelled wisteria or iris before.  I probably have (in flower form), but definitely couldn't ID them in a million years.  But still, it was calling me.  That sandalwood smoke sounded fascinating and I'm generally on an okay-ish basis with lavender.  Dry woods sounded nice, at least!

 

I should also preface this with the note that I'm not even sure I should write this review because of how clueless it is exactly what I'm smelling.  I can't do this justice to really explain what I'm smelling, but I'll do my best.

 

First sniff:

 

This is actually...interesting.  I'm not sure what other word to describe it.  It's not bad "interesting."  It's a good "interesting," for sure, but I'm not sure that that means that I like it?  It's complicated. 

 

I get a big gust of looming, lush florals.  Definitely not white ones or any kind of rose, would be all I'd be able to tell you without having the notes in front of me.  I'm guessing maybe it's the wisteria, but, like I said, I'm no floral expert.  But then I also get a lavender in the background, but it's a roughed up lavender.  Almost scorched smelling, but not in a bad way.  My nose is confused.

 

Wet on the skin:

 

This is all heady, perfumey florals.  Huge, looming florals.  I think it's the wisteria, but maybe there's iris here in these overpowering flowers?  I just don't know.  There's other stuff there, too, I think.  Somewhere.  But I'm buried in flowers and I can't tell what it is.

 

Dry down:

 

Much more like the bottle scent, but more complicated still.  The predominant scents at this point are a scorched sandalwood (it smells like the burnt top of the sandalwood incense cones I burned in college, minus the charred parts) and a dirty, rough lavender.  I don't know what carrot seed smells like, but there's something almost like mustard seed pods here.  It's kind of earthy, kind of vaguely plant-like.

 

The verdict:

This is actually nice.  It reminds me, somehow, of a classic department store perfume but at the same time it doesn't at all.  I think my brain is trying to struggle to understand what it's getting here.  I like this, but I can't quite decide if it's something that's going to be staying in my collection.

[BetteNoire]

Holy shirtballs, Beth.

 

I've been dreaming of a perfect smoky lavender blend, but this is better than that. In the bottle and on the skin it smells like a perfect blend of the listed notes, everything in is supporting the lavender but it all blends so well that it becomes it's own entity.

 

This truly is a tranquil mask over a vast expanse of sadness. It is heart clenching, it creates a very clear image of mourning not allowed to show outwardly.

 

And at the same time is that smoky lavender with a touch of wisteria to keep it out of the skincare realm. A masterpiece, I have no choice but to bow down. And buy a full bottle.

[zankoku_zen]

Smoky soft lavender, wisteria and whiffs of iris and a bit of sandalwood. It's calming, contemplative, and a little sad. Medium throw and wear length.

[artisjok]

We Wear the Mask is a thick coating of longing, a heavy dose of feminine dread. The florals drape a purple velvet blanket, dusty with age, over me as I lay on a pile of brittle kindling. A sigh escapes as the will to struggle slowly releases in weary ecstasy. A thin thread of smoke curls around my head as a pale hand strokes my hair in placating comfort. Anxiety drips away into the Earth and eyes close to the world. 

 

The first wear, this scent was so good, and I jumped to find another decant. Last night when I wore it, I found myself almost choked by the strength and an amped perfumey note.
Apply with care and attention, this perfume is like a deceptively soft-hearted woman, with a hidden rage. 
 

Here’s the poem, in case it comes down from the Lab’s site one day~

 

 

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, –
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
– Paul Laurence Dunbar

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by artisjok

[theseagrows]

this one is intriguing. i honestly get a melange of all the notes except wisteria at first, and i love how the carrot seed and iris are combining making something earthy and suede-y. however, after awhile this goes through some unpleasant stages for me-first it gets very green and masculine then the iris and carrot seed turn very soapy and most of the other notes are gone. 

 

[HerbGirl]

This is truly beautiful. It is beautiful in the same way, to me, that Lady Death: Savage is beautiful. It is a lovely perfume. I am familiar with each scent note but am not smelling any of them individually. Truly a masterpiece and I am so glad I bought a bottle.

[Indigo78]

Stunning.

 

It’s not easy to describe in notes, so I’ll talk about what it evokes. I smell hand-woven fabric that’s been impeccably cared for. If kind, wise ghost whispers had a scent, this is how they would smell.

 

It’s unforgettable. There’s in my collection quite like it, and I’ll enjoy every precious drop.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant, I get strong lavender, some iris, and something that is reminding me of eucalyptus?

 

On my skin, this starts off with the lavender, sandalwood, and iris being the most prominent notes on me, but over time, it gets a lot sharper on me, and I know that's my skin chemistry disagreeing with the wisteria and amping it to high heaven.  There's also a bitter greenish aspect to this, and I wonder if it is the carrot seed?

 

This is a melancholy, woody floral scent that would be pretty on someone whose skin chemistry doesn't run away with the wisteria.

[LavenderCoffee]

I have been trying to smell my way through scents I don't wear very often, and I thought, "I have so many lavender blends, and I'm not sure I even like iris or wisteria. Do I still need this one?"

Immediately after opening the bottle, I knew the answer was yes, and I'm overdue for reviewing it. This blend is almost painfully gorgeous, and has gotten even better since 2020.

 

In the bottle and freshly applied, there is a sharp, cold, almost minty scent - not sure what is creating that effect besides an abundance of herbal lavender, although I think wisteria can have a bit of a spice to it, and that might be contributing to the sharpness.

As it dries down/warms up, the dry wood contributes a pale earthiness that reminds me of palo santo, and the lavender led florals take on a creamy effect. I don't get much smoke, but the wisteria might be obscuring it - if I wasn't looking at the scent notes, I would swear there is white clove in this.

When dry, the wisteria clove effect has calmed down, and there is a subtly sweet, ethereal floral haze over the wood, which now has an added depth. I almost wanna say there's an oak component to the "dry woods" that is working with the floral to bring an expensive perfume effect to the blend, like a muted, melancholy version of the Empress and the Chariot (which I admit, I am currently obsessed with). 

[tealeaves]

I love lavender and sandalwood, but I wasn't sure what to expect when I tried this decant. Whatever it was, the scent wasn't it. I can't pick out any of the individual notes, but on me it smells like a high-end perfume. It's floral, a bit aquatic and dark, and utterly delightful. It also has great wear and throw. I can easily see this becoming my signature scent. Love. 

[quantquill]

Wet: a harsh blast of something astringent, likely the carrot seed, but I'm guessing.

Dry: Heart-achingly beautiful, elegant, and complex.

 

Sandalwood smoke -- that's a note I'm going to look for in other perfume oils. Combined with the wisteria and iris, wow. I'm getting a mental image of an elegant, self-assured woman in a little black dress, white pearls, clutch purse, hair in a chignon. I'm more of a yoga pants and gourmand girlie, lol. Super glad I got to try this! Will be passing it along to someone more befitting. 

 

Also: As another reviewer said, I can't pick out any individual notes and I don't smell lavender -- maybe it's the piercingly "pretty" note underlying the whole thing? If you're looking for a perfume with great longevity, my skin eats all perfume oils very fast (less than an hour) and this is still going strong 3 hours after dabbing it on my wrists.

Edited June 27 by quantquill