Death Is Death

[Seajewel]

White sandalwood, myrrh, and faded incense smoke.

[wordortwo]

I was confused when I opened this bottle for the first time. Something was surprisingly sweet, almost caramelized. That phase doesn't last long, and the perfume becomes a little cooler over time, with a slightly astringent element. The incense note is more apparent from afar. I wore a liberal amount of this today, and at times I would notice it hanging around me, as if sandalwood incense smoke were in my hair and clothes. After about four hours, it is a mellow sandalwood incense that clings quite close to the skin.

 

This could almost be a stripped-down version of Eve from the OLLA collection. Remove the saffron, honey, and herbs, and you might have something like Death is Death.

 

Overall, this perfume is simple, sweetly balsamic, creamy, and lightly woody. It didn't knock my socks off, but I think I'll use it the same way I do O, mixed with lotion or jojoba oil for days when I want a light, simple scent.

 

Edit: So, this quickly became my go-to, gentle work scent. I've actually put an alarming dent in the bottle. However, I'm trying to set it aside to age - I'm not big on aging perfumes, but I figure the resin might benefit from extra time.

Edited March 6, 2022 by wordortwo

[Casablanca]

My book on Japanese death poetry is one of my favorites; I was glad to see this concept scent.

 

Death Is Death begins as a serene, sweet, moderately dark-smelling myrrh incense. I definitely get the almost-caramelized sweetness mentioned in @wordortwo's review, a little on the wand and more so on my skin, but only at first. Smoke wreaths the scent and a grainy incense stick pierces it; they both shade the sandalwood until they seem to merge with it. 

 

The sweetness fades utterly. The blend turns more than a little balsamic on my skin as it dries.

 

Essentially: smoky, resinous incense. First sweet, then balsamic, ever-smoky. Simple and yet not.

[birdieflyaway]

This is pretty, but it is so, so light. I have to huff nose touching skin and search for where I put it on within minutes. It's definitely smoky sweet, reminds me of an old-fashioned (the cocktail) initially. Once dry, I smell the myrrh and I realllly like it...but sadly, to justify a bottle I'd need this scent to be stronger.  

[she's a carnival]

I get the smokey sweet opening as well and I quite love it! It dries down to sandalwood with a bit of myrrh. I kind of wish it kept it's sweet and smokey phase but regardless this is a really nice go-to scent. Not a large throw but good for days when you just want a skin scent.

[Threemoons]

Wore this yesterday layered with an old Weenie HG, and by itself the day before yesterday.  This is the light, dry white sandalwood blend that you are looking for, especially if you want something that doesn't amp like crazy.  Dries down to a sort of gorgeous sandalwood skin musk on me.

[zankoku_zen]

Dark, smoky sandalwood. This one doesn't have a lot of throw, and its more of a skin scent on me. Low throw, good wear length.

[Diesis]

Loving this one. It dries down to, & this is my mental thought not an accurate note, “a feminine mahogany” & sweet resin. When I first put it on, the gentle smokey note of the incense & the myrrh are the biggest part. It’s so nice. 
 

As much as I like it, I do not mind the dry down to a very generic insense smokey scent with a wood note. Not a campfire, more like incense in a very old church that is in a regular building (not a big stone & glass church, more like a real fancy Rec centre with pews of a dark wood). But the myrrh keeps that sweetness in it that blends in really well & makes it feel like a lighter, more perfume version of some of the really dark mahogany scents. 
 

Really pretty, feels classy (even my mum liked it). Low throw, on me last about 4 or 5 hours.

Edited February 8, 2022 by TheLampades

[wolf_truffles]

Without reading some of the previous comments here I think I'd have a really hard time describing this. "Balsamic" is right although I don't really know how that happened. To me, it smells like I'm smelling inside of something. It's a scent that goes about as deep as one can go. Smoky and resinous and just deeeeeeeep deep deep. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by wolf_truffles

[starbrow]

The 2021 White Sandalwood strikes again! It reads as baby powder in such blends as the new RPG Drow Yoga Instructor and Tiefling Therapist, and that's exactly what comes across in Death is Death: poofy white powder that could indeed be found on a baby changing table. I can't smell much myrrh here (which usually has a bubblegum/perfume/both quality to me) and the incense smoke must be hiding behind the poofs of big-ass white sandalwood, because I can't detect it at all. Those worried about either myrrh or smoke have nothing to fear here!

 

I think if you enjoy white sandalwood - Shadow Self, RPGs - Death is Death is a very simple and lovely kind of blend, almost a single-note. Elegantly simple. I am not a white sandalwood fan, apparently! But I think this will have some fans.

[MamaMoth]

begins with that sweet, almost smoky-carmelized myrrh that others have mentioned, and a dry soft sandalwood.  over time the myrhh fades mostly into the background, so that the sandalwood reigns with just the faintest whisper of smoky-sweet resin to back it up. it's not my favorite version of sandalwood, and overall i crave a bit more jazz from my scents, but this is perfectly lovely. there's a contemplative serenity to it.  

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by MamaMoth