Eee! Yules! (Part One!)
My thoughts on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Yule update, part one: the Yules...
But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light - The world will love its darkness: cistus labdanum, ginger, East Indian patchouli, pimento berry, oakmoss, saffron, smoky vanilla, sage, myrrh, and bitter blove. - “Bitter blove,” tee hee! (I know, I’m super-mature.) I suspect that’s meant to be clove. I’m curious about this one. There are notes I like, but notes I don’t know what to expect from. Maybe a decant.
Ded Moroz - Light, darkness, kindness, and malice: golden amber, white amber, redwood, teak, bois du rose, sage, tree moss, and snow. Hmm. Wasn’t this the one about which there was a kerfuffle a while back? (The Lab sold the prototype on eBay and it ended up going for a zillion dollars, and some people got their knickers in a twist for reasons that are relatively inscrutable to me - if someone wants to spend hundreds of her hard-earned dollars on what was at the time a one-of-a-kind scent experience, it’s certainly no skin off my nose. But I guess when you get people in groups, even on the internet, you end up with at least some degree of drama.) Anyway, here we’ve got ambers, woods, sage, moss, and snow. I’d be interested in sniffing this, but I think it’s probably not for me.
Diable en Boîte - A strangely sinister, unnerving holiday scent: redwood, bitter clove, tonka, hemp accord, and tobacco with peach blossom, black currant, and red musk. As a general rule it seems like tobacco scents work better on me than I would originally have suspected, and if Snake Charmer (Resurrected) is any indication, red musk works nicely on me as well. I don’t know about the other notes, though. In particular, the hemp and peach blossom make me nervous. So, another “would like to sniff but probably not for me.”
El Dia de los Reyes 2009 - Hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar. I think a lot of people will be happy this is back, and I’m happy for them. As for myself, though, I’m good without it. (Things are looking pretty good for my bank account so far!)
Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers - Frost-limned, ice-bejeweled branches, scattered blood-red maple leaves, a few camellia petals, red peppers, and nacreous, multi-colored musks that shimmer like gently-beating cicada wings. Okay, so if Snow, Glass, Apples is anything to go off of, the snow/ice/cold scents aren’t really for me. And if Smut 2008 is anything to go off of, many-musks-at-once have the potential to go very, very wrong on me. I don’t know what camellias smell like. So, basically, aside from the maple leaves and the red peppers (and do I really want to smell like red peppers? Oh, who am I kidding, I probably do), there’s nothing here that should be appealing to me. And yet I am so, so tempted, just from the concept, because while I hate cicadas, the concept fits in nicely with my nostalgia for (certain aspects of) New Mexico. So, a decant, with no expectations that it’ll work for me, but hey…
Faunalia - The scent of a thick, starlit, unspoiled forest, with a burst of wild musk, opobalsamum, black bryony, mandragora, and hemlock. Love the idea of “a thick, starlit, unspoiled forest,” but I don’t think there’s any way this would work on me. Maybe on the Boy, though… hmm…
The First Soft Snow - Heavy drifts of snow blanketing winter’s narcissus. Nope!
The Fruit of Paradise 2009 - The Fruit of Paradise, the Nectar of Death: bittersweet pomegranate, nurtured and cultivated in the hollow darkness of the Underworld. I’m curious about this one. I’m going to go read the reviews on BPAL.org before I commit one way or another.
Gacela of the Dark Death - Terebinth pine, pitch, and clove. Not so much. Neat idea, though.
Hypothermia - Bone-chilling, heart-stopping cold. Definitely not.
In Winter in My Room - Pink, lank, and warm: grapefruit, yuzu, tuberose, peony, violet leaf, pikaki, Indian frankincense, and tonka. Huh. Fruit + flowers = probably not for me. (More often than not when I buy decants of fruity scents thinking, “hey, those are fruits I like,” I end up underwhelmed.) But, Indian frankincense! Very much on the fence here.
Joulumuori - Old Lady Christmas, the sweet, smiling wife of Finland's Joulupukki. Her scent invokes the comforts of Christmastime and the warmth of love and cheerful companionship: a glowing hearth, luumukiisseli, riisipuuro, and sima. That’s a lot of vowels right there. Luumukiisseli appears to be a stewed/spiced prunes concoction, riisipuuro is Finnish rice pudding, and sima is a sweet mead that appears to involve both the flesh and the rind of a lemon along with raisins. So… probably not, but once again, I’d love to get a sniff.
Lick It Til It’s Sticky - The stickiest thing you shouldn't lick this winter. Peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar. I didn’t manage to get a hold of a decant of this last year, because I am lamesauce (see next entry for further lamesauceness). This year I shall Lick It, dammit! (I’m only getting a decant, ‘cause I’m really not sure how much I really want to smell like a candy cane, but hey.)
Midnight Mass 2009 - This perfume is a traditional Roman Catholic sacramental incense, most often used during a Solemn Mass. Traditionally, five tears of this incense, each encased individually in wax that has been fashioned into the shape of a nail, are inserted into the paschal candle. This is, of course, represents the Five Wounds of Our Risen Savior. Symbolically, the burning of the incense signifies spiritual fervor, the fragrance itself inspires virtue, and the rising smoke carries our prayers to God. Yes please! I bought a decant of this last year and loved it, but didn’t end up buying a bottle, ‘cause I’m a dork. I’m definitely buying a bottle this year. Lurve!
Nes Gadol Haya Sham - In order to consolidate his power in Jerusalem and Hellenize the area, the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed Judaism and ordered the population to worship Zeus and the Hellenic pantheon. As this was anathema to the Jews, they refused, and Antiochus moved to enforce his religious decree by extreme force.
Some origin tales say that the dreidel was used at this time as a method by which the Jewish people were able to continue to study the Talmud in secret under the guise of gambling. Now, in addition to being a light gambling game, the dreidel is also a reminder of the strength, devotion, and perseverance of the Jewish people and the mercy of God.
One scent in four parts:
Nun, the Snake: nuun, nothing. Nahš, in modern Arabic, means bad luck. Represented by scents of loss and remembrance: opoponax and lemon verbena.
Gimel, the Camel: the Ship of the Desert. Represented by scents of abundance, fortitude, and determination: patchouli, heliotrope, pomegranate, and almond.
He, the Window: sometimes used to represent the Unutterable Name of God, this is the window in our souls through which God's light touches us. Represented by scents of clarity and piety: frankincense, myrtle, and hyssop.
Shin, the Tooth: also stands for Shaddai, one of the names of God. The hand formed into shin acts as a priestly blessing. Represented by scents of strength, generosity, kindness, and benediction: carnation, myrrh, red poppy, and hibiscus.
The essences of Nun, Gimel, He, and Shin are blended to become Nes Gadol Haya Sham. Wow, that’s a lot of notes. I think I have to get a decant, ‘cause it’s a dreidel scent!, and ‘cause I like a lot of those notes, but I have no idea what to expect from it.
Now Winter Nights Enlarge - Shorten those tedious nights with a surge of body heat: vanilla-infused red musk, champaca, petitgrain, ylang ylang, patchouli, nutmeg, honey, galbanum, and traces of caramel. [sigh] Further wibbling! The honey and caramel make me nervous, and I’ve already forgotten from last year what galbanum is. Petitgrain is a mystery to me, and I seem to recall that champaca is generally more flowery and less like Nag Champa incense than I would like. But, vanilla-infused red musk and patchouli! Hmm.
On Darkness 2009 - An embrace: black poppy, lavender, thick black incense, black amber, rose geranium, Brazilian rosewood, and benzoin. Now, why didn’t I try this last year? Was it the flowers? I’m going to have a look at the reviews from last year before I decide.
The Peacock Queen 2009 - In dramatic contrast to the soft innocence of Snow White and the dew-kissed freshness of her sister, Rose Red, this is a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred. I can’t wear most roses, especially Beth’s “red rose” note, but I bet this is quite lovely on other people.
Pink Snowballs - A lighthearted winter scent: chilly vanilla rose snowballs! Dainty, soft, and certainly unfit for flinging! “Chilly” plus “rose” (not to mention “dainty” and “soft,” heh) suggest to me that there’s no possible way this is going to work on me, and yet there’s still a part of my brain going, “I can has Pink Snowballs?” I bet it’s pretty.
The Season of Ghosts - A scent created to burn away sorrow: bergamot, frankincense, rose geranium, ginger, lemongrass, and blood orange. Frankincense always makes my ears perk up, but I think not, on this one.
The Shivering Boy 2009 - The scent of frozen, dormant vineyards, bitter sleet, and piercing ozone, hurled through labdanum, benzoin, and olibanum. Nope!
Sleipnir (Odin’s eight-legged horse!) - Confections spun of hazelnuts, honey, elderberries, and bilberries with a dusting of hay and a bit of carrot. Way too sweet/foody for my tastes, methinks, but I do so love that it’s Odin’s horse.
Snow-Flakes 2009 - The radiance and desolation of winter. Nope!
The Snow Maiden 2009 - The Snow Maiden is the daughter of Spring and Frost: as lovely as the first snowfall, and as striking as a sliver of icicle. Isolated because of her chilly otherworldly nature, and unable to know love, she longed for the companionship and warmth of mortals. One bright, white winter's day, the Snow Maiden came upon a gentle, handsome shepherd named Lel. She grows fond of him, and beseeches Mother Spring to grant her the ability to feel. Her mother is moved by her daughter's plight, and blesses her, but the moment the Snow Maiden is struck by the depth of love she feels for Lel, her heart warms, and she melts. I bet this is pretty, but - nope!
Snow White 2009 - A chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers. Someday I’d like to sniff this just to know what people are talking about, but it’s definitely not for me.
Snowball Fracas - This means war. A scent tight with delirious adrenaline. Muddy dirt and frost-covered moss from the trenches rubbed into winter clothes and snow impact overspray. This scent hits like the sting from those dang icy hard snowballs... the ones that have been packed too hard by someone who is not playing nice... nailing you right in the face. Love the concept, not at all interested in the scent. :)
Sol Invictus 2009 - A radiant blend of solar oils: golden amber, saffron, heliotrope, hibiscus, citron, frangipani, frankincense, tangerine, mock orange, and orange blossom. This has been around before, but I haven’t tried it? It might still fall into the “fruit + flowers = never as impressive as I want it to be” category, but it seems like it would be warm and sunny and lovely to have in February, when I’m miserably sick of winter. Probably a decant, though I’ll check out the reviews of past versions to be sure.
When the Winter Chrysanthemums Go - A gentle flurry of snow dusting the season's last chrysanthemums, illuminated by pale rays of winter's amber-tinted sunlight. Flowering Chrysanthemums is my mum scent of choice, and I can’t imagine adding snow to mums would result in a scent I would like better than FC, so - nope!
Yule Cat - The Yule Cat is a gargantuan Icelandic feline that feasts on indolent people who shirk their community responsibilities. Don't be lazy! - idle hands make for a very unpleasant Yule!
Malevolent musk, a drop of infernal civet, vetiver, club moss, birch, goosefoot, and rowan. Bwa ha ha, awesome. A reminder that I want to do some knitting for charity this holiday season. Do I want to smell like the Yule Cat, though? Nooooo. :)
The tally so far:
Want to read the reviews for: The Fruit of Paradise, On Darkness, Sol Invictus
Might want decants of (depending on how much I'm spending on other stuff): But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light, Faunalia (?), Now Winter Nights Enlarge
Definitely want decants of: Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers, Lick It Til It's Sticky, Nes Gadol Haya Sham... and the more I think about it, the more heavily I'm leaning in the direction of Sol Invictus...
Want a bottle of: Midnight Mass
And there's more... eep...
But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light - The world will love its darkness: cistus labdanum, ginger, East Indian patchouli, pimento berry, oakmoss, saffron, smoky vanilla, sage, myrrh, and bitter blove. - “Bitter blove,” tee hee! (I know, I’m super-mature.) I suspect that’s meant to be clove. I’m curious about this one. There are notes I like, but notes I don’t know what to expect from. Maybe a decant.
Ded Moroz - Light, darkness, kindness, and malice: golden amber, white amber, redwood, teak, bois du rose, sage, tree moss, and snow. Hmm. Wasn’t this the one about which there was a kerfuffle a while back? (The Lab sold the prototype on eBay and it ended up going for a zillion dollars, and some people got their knickers in a twist for reasons that are relatively inscrutable to me - if someone wants to spend hundreds of her hard-earned dollars on what was at the time a one-of-a-kind scent experience, it’s certainly no skin off my nose. But I guess when you get people in groups, even on the internet, you end up with at least some degree of drama.) Anyway, here we’ve got ambers, woods, sage, moss, and snow. I’d be interested in sniffing this, but I think it’s probably not for me.
Diable en Boîte - A strangely sinister, unnerving holiday scent: redwood, bitter clove, tonka, hemp accord, and tobacco with peach blossom, black currant, and red musk. As a general rule it seems like tobacco scents work better on me than I would originally have suspected, and if Snake Charmer (Resurrected) is any indication, red musk works nicely on me as well. I don’t know about the other notes, though. In particular, the hemp and peach blossom make me nervous. So, another “would like to sniff but probably not for me.”
El Dia de los Reyes 2009 - Hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar. I think a lot of people will be happy this is back, and I’m happy for them. As for myself, though, I’m good without it. (Things are looking pretty good for my bank account so far!)
Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers - Frost-limned, ice-bejeweled branches, scattered blood-red maple leaves, a few camellia petals, red peppers, and nacreous, multi-colored musks that shimmer like gently-beating cicada wings. Okay, so if Snow, Glass, Apples is anything to go off of, the snow/ice/cold scents aren’t really for me. And if Smut 2008 is anything to go off of, many-musks-at-once have the potential to go very, very wrong on me. I don’t know what camellias smell like. So, basically, aside from the maple leaves and the red peppers (and do I really want to smell like red peppers? Oh, who am I kidding, I probably do), there’s nothing here that should be appealing to me. And yet I am so, so tempted, just from the concept, because while I hate cicadas, the concept fits in nicely with my nostalgia for (certain aspects of) New Mexico. So, a decant, with no expectations that it’ll work for me, but hey…
Faunalia - The scent of a thick, starlit, unspoiled forest, with a burst of wild musk, opobalsamum, black bryony, mandragora, and hemlock. Love the idea of “a thick, starlit, unspoiled forest,” but I don’t think there’s any way this would work on me. Maybe on the Boy, though… hmm…
The First Soft Snow - Heavy drifts of snow blanketing winter’s narcissus. Nope!
The Fruit of Paradise 2009 - The Fruit of Paradise, the Nectar of Death: bittersweet pomegranate, nurtured and cultivated in the hollow darkness of the Underworld. I’m curious about this one. I’m going to go read the reviews on BPAL.org before I commit one way or another.
Gacela of the Dark Death - Terebinth pine, pitch, and clove. Not so much. Neat idea, though.
Hypothermia - Bone-chilling, heart-stopping cold. Definitely not.
In Winter in My Room - Pink, lank, and warm: grapefruit, yuzu, tuberose, peony, violet leaf, pikaki, Indian frankincense, and tonka. Huh. Fruit + flowers = probably not for me. (More often than not when I buy decants of fruity scents thinking, “hey, those are fruits I like,” I end up underwhelmed.) But, Indian frankincense! Very much on the fence here.
Joulumuori - Old Lady Christmas, the sweet, smiling wife of Finland's Joulupukki. Her scent invokes the comforts of Christmastime and the warmth of love and cheerful companionship: a glowing hearth, luumukiisseli, riisipuuro, and sima. That’s a lot of vowels right there. Luumukiisseli appears to be a stewed/spiced prunes concoction, riisipuuro is Finnish rice pudding, and sima is a sweet mead that appears to involve both the flesh and the rind of a lemon along with raisins. So… probably not, but once again, I’d love to get a sniff.
Lick It Til It’s Sticky - The stickiest thing you shouldn't lick this winter. Peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar. I didn’t manage to get a hold of a decant of this last year, because I am lamesauce (see next entry for further lamesauceness). This year I shall Lick It, dammit! (I’m only getting a decant, ‘cause I’m really not sure how much I really want to smell like a candy cane, but hey.)
Midnight Mass 2009 - This perfume is a traditional Roman Catholic sacramental incense, most often used during a Solemn Mass. Traditionally, five tears of this incense, each encased individually in wax that has been fashioned into the shape of a nail, are inserted into the paschal candle. This is, of course, represents the Five Wounds of Our Risen Savior. Symbolically, the burning of the incense signifies spiritual fervor, the fragrance itself inspires virtue, and the rising smoke carries our prayers to God. Yes please! I bought a decant of this last year and loved it, but didn’t end up buying a bottle, ‘cause I’m a dork. I’m definitely buying a bottle this year. Lurve!
Nes Gadol Haya Sham - In order to consolidate his power in Jerusalem and Hellenize the area, the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed Judaism and ordered the population to worship Zeus and the Hellenic pantheon. As this was anathema to the Jews, they refused, and Antiochus moved to enforce his religious decree by extreme force.
Some origin tales say that the dreidel was used at this time as a method by which the Jewish people were able to continue to study the Talmud in secret under the guise of gambling. Now, in addition to being a light gambling game, the dreidel is also a reminder of the strength, devotion, and perseverance of the Jewish people and the mercy of God.
One scent in four parts:
Nun, the Snake: nuun, nothing. Nahš, in modern Arabic, means bad luck. Represented by scents of loss and remembrance: opoponax and lemon verbena.
Gimel, the Camel: the Ship of the Desert. Represented by scents of abundance, fortitude, and determination: patchouli, heliotrope, pomegranate, and almond.
He, the Window: sometimes used to represent the Unutterable Name of God, this is the window in our souls through which God's light touches us. Represented by scents of clarity and piety: frankincense, myrtle, and hyssop.
Shin, the Tooth: also stands for Shaddai, one of the names of God. The hand formed into shin acts as a priestly blessing. Represented by scents of strength, generosity, kindness, and benediction: carnation, myrrh, red poppy, and hibiscus.
The essences of Nun, Gimel, He, and Shin are blended to become Nes Gadol Haya Sham. Wow, that’s a lot of notes. I think I have to get a decant, ‘cause it’s a dreidel scent!, and ‘cause I like a lot of those notes, but I have no idea what to expect from it.
Now Winter Nights Enlarge - Shorten those tedious nights with a surge of body heat: vanilla-infused red musk, champaca, petitgrain, ylang ylang, patchouli, nutmeg, honey, galbanum, and traces of caramel. [sigh] Further wibbling! The honey and caramel make me nervous, and I’ve already forgotten from last year what galbanum is. Petitgrain is a mystery to me, and I seem to recall that champaca is generally more flowery and less like Nag Champa incense than I would like. But, vanilla-infused red musk and patchouli! Hmm.
On Darkness 2009 - An embrace: black poppy, lavender, thick black incense, black amber, rose geranium, Brazilian rosewood, and benzoin. Now, why didn’t I try this last year? Was it the flowers? I’m going to have a look at the reviews from last year before I decide.
The Peacock Queen 2009 - In dramatic contrast to the soft innocence of Snow White and the dew-kissed freshness of her sister, Rose Red, this is a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred. I can’t wear most roses, especially Beth’s “red rose” note, but I bet this is quite lovely on other people.
Pink Snowballs - A lighthearted winter scent: chilly vanilla rose snowballs! Dainty, soft, and certainly unfit for flinging! “Chilly” plus “rose” (not to mention “dainty” and “soft,” heh) suggest to me that there’s no possible way this is going to work on me, and yet there’s still a part of my brain going, “I can has Pink Snowballs?” I bet it’s pretty.
The Season of Ghosts - A scent created to burn away sorrow: bergamot, frankincense, rose geranium, ginger, lemongrass, and blood orange. Frankincense always makes my ears perk up, but I think not, on this one.
The Shivering Boy 2009 - The scent of frozen, dormant vineyards, bitter sleet, and piercing ozone, hurled through labdanum, benzoin, and olibanum. Nope!
Sleipnir (Odin’s eight-legged horse!) - Confections spun of hazelnuts, honey, elderberries, and bilberries with a dusting of hay and a bit of carrot. Way too sweet/foody for my tastes, methinks, but I do so love that it’s Odin’s horse.
Snow-Flakes 2009 - The radiance and desolation of winter. Nope!
The Snow Maiden 2009 - The Snow Maiden is the daughter of Spring and Frost: as lovely as the first snowfall, and as striking as a sliver of icicle. Isolated because of her chilly otherworldly nature, and unable to know love, she longed for the companionship and warmth of mortals. One bright, white winter's day, the Snow Maiden came upon a gentle, handsome shepherd named Lel. She grows fond of him, and beseeches Mother Spring to grant her the ability to feel. Her mother is moved by her daughter's plight, and blesses her, but the moment the Snow Maiden is struck by the depth of love she feels for Lel, her heart warms, and she melts. I bet this is pretty, but - nope!
Snow White 2009 - A chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers. Someday I’d like to sniff this just to know what people are talking about, but it’s definitely not for me.
Snowball Fracas - This means war. A scent tight with delirious adrenaline. Muddy dirt and frost-covered moss from the trenches rubbed into winter clothes and snow impact overspray. This scent hits like the sting from those dang icy hard snowballs... the ones that have been packed too hard by someone who is not playing nice... nailing you right in the face. Love the concept, not at all interested in the scent. :)
Sol Invictus 2009 - A radiant blend of solar oils: golden amber, saffron, heliotrope, hibiscus, citron, frangipani, frankincense, tangerine, mock orange, and orange blossom. This has been around before, but I haven’t tried it? It might still fall into the “fruit + flowers = never as impressive as I want it to be” category, but it seems like it would be warm and sunny and lovely to have in February, when I’m miserably sick of winter. Probably a decant, though I’ll check out the reviews of past versions to be sure.
When the Winter Chrysanthemums Go - A gentle flurry of snow dusting the season's last chrysanthemums, illuminated by pale rays of winter's amber-tinted sunlight. Flowering Chrysanthemums is my mum scent of choice, and I can’t imagine adding snow to mums would result in a scent I would like better than FC, so - nope!
Yule Cat - The Yule Cat is a gargantuan Icelandic feline that feasts on indolent people who shirk their community responsibilities. Don't be lazy! - idle hands make for a very unpleasant Yule!
Malevolent musk, a drop of infernal civet, vetiver, club moss, birch, goosefoot, and rowan. Bwa ha ha, awesome. A reminder that I want to do some knitting for charity this holiday season. Do I want to smell like the Yule Cat, though? Nooooo. :)
The tally so far:
Want to read the reviews for: The Fruit of Paradise, On Darkness, Sol Invictus
Might want decants of (depending on how much I'm spending on other stuff): But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light, Faunalia (?), Now Winter Nights Enlarge
Definitely want decants of: Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers, Lick It Til It's Sticky, Nes Gadol Haya Sham... and the more I think about it, the more heavily I'm leaning in the direction of Sol Invictus...
Want a bottle of: Midnight Mass
And there's more... eep...