House of Night

[sarada]

And by that light around the dome appear'd
A mournful garden of autumnal hue,
Its lately pleasing flowers all drooping stood
Amidst high weeds that rank in plenty grew.

The Primrose there, the violet darkly blue,
Daisies and fair Narcissus ceas'd to rise,
Gay spotted pinks their charming bloom withdrew.
And Polyanthus quench'd its thousand dyes.

No pleasant fruit or blossoms gaily smil'd,
Nought but unhappy plants or trees were seen,
The yew, the myrtle, and the church-yard elm,
The cypress, with its melancholy green.

There cedars dark, the osier, and the pine,
Shorn tamarisks, and weeping willows grew,
The poplar tall, the lotos, and the lime,
And Pyracantha did her leaves renew.

The poppy there, companion to repose,
Display'd her blossoms that began to fall,
And here the purple amaranthus rose
With mint strong-scented, for the funeral.

And here and there with laurel shrubs between
A tombstone lay, inscrib'd with stains of woe,
And stanzas sad, throughout the dismal green,
Lamented for the dead that slept below.

A sorrowful graveyard bouquet of somber blooms, funereal boughs, dismal green and laden with grief.

Love this poem.

In the imp, my overwhelming impression of this blend was that it was a lot like Medea. There was sort of a lingering wisp of a sort of cigarette smokey scent about it as well. I thought it would turn out a lot like Medea on me as well, but imagine my surprise....

When I put some on (I've tested like four things so far today but they've mostly faded so far)...and I walked outside and I swear I smelled Samhain, drifting around me. What?? I sniffed my arm, and sure enough, it was very much like the smokey fir/green smell that I get after I've been wearing Samhain for awhile. The smokiness is prominent but there's a wonderful green sweetness underlying it.

Very surprising, as I was expected a more floral scent in the vial, and I have no idea why it came across so much as a smoky Medea. From the description I had thought it would be much more floral or have some of the graveyard dirt smell.

I'm not going to say it smells LIKE Samhain, but when it first starts to dry on me it comes across like several of the notes in Samhain. How about that??

I will need to test this when I am completely unscented, to get a really good grasp of what it does, but I went from being kind of neutral on the oil in the bottle, to being VERY excited when it dried. Now I'm thinking this will definitely be a 5 ml purchase, but I'll have to test it a couple more times to make sure.

ETA: Hours later, I get a kind of musky, dusky memory of darkly sweet florals still with a slight whiff of smoke. I still like it...definitely hoping to see what others might pick up from it! Edited November 10, 2007 by Shollin

[Macha]

As I love the poem dearly, I had to try this. Although straight notes aren't listed specifically, plants specifically mentioned that may possibly be present include: yew, myrtle, elm, cypress, cedar, osier, pine, tamarisk, willow, poplar, lotus, lime, pyracantha, poppy, purple amaranthus, mint and laurel.

 

In the Vial: Smells green and herbal, although not unduly astringent or medicinal the way some green scents can go. I can smell a little cypress, some woodsy notes, what may in fact be lime (although a very light touch if it is.)

 

Wet, on skin: Oh. My. God. I didn't expect it to smell. Wow. Not flowers, no, but the silky feel of smooth leaves gliding across your skin. This is so calm and satiny, green but gentle. The evocative sensation is standing under a willow tree at night, watching the fireflies dance in the night air from behind a veil of soft green. My boyfriend insisted on smelling my wrist this morning (as he does every morning as I ready for work) and he stopped thoughtfully at this one and declared it was truly beautiful.

 

Dry, on skin: This is a gorgeous, sublimely blended fragrance. As it dries, the flowers peak out a little...soft dark flowers that are fortunately kept from being too soapy or cloying by the profusion of greenery and the lingering hint of lime. The whole fragrance is complex and elegant, stately, serene. There is peace here.

 

Conclusion: As I was cash tight, I only bought an Imp. Ah, alas and alack. Now I'll have to go back and get a bottle. I have no idea how good a throw this has, as it smells fine with my wrist glued to my nose, and I'm not sure about the staying power, but I want to slather this. A lot.

[wolfie13]

In the vial it smells green and woodsy/herbally but on a darker note, like the woods at night.

 

I really like it at this point and upon initial application. During the drydown it becomes more floral, but not overly so - more of a layer on top of the original scent - it smells like lilies to me, actually, but lightly.

 

In fact the whole scent is very light on me, more than I would have expected, and it fades very quickly on me, which is a bummer.

 

It's walking through a cemetery at night in springtime, pausing next to an as-yet-to-be buried casket that still has flowers strewn across it.

Edited April 21, 2005 by wolfie13

[Nepthys]

The "somber blooms" just aren't in this for me, neither in the imp or on my skin. Instead it's a dark dry scent of pine trees and night - I don't know why the description evoked a chilly gray day in my mind, but this has a midnight association with it; and of course, it is called House of Night. This doesn't really remind me of a graveyard as much as a huge Victorian estate, the kind in gothic romance novels where there was always an overgrown weedy family cemetery on the premises. I could see a Bronte heroine wearing this - it's that kind of dramatic, tragic scent.

[clover]

House of Night

 

Holy Gorgeousness! This is not what I was expecting at all. This is all boughs and greens & hardly any blooms on me. Mostly lovely woods with just a hint of lime and some very sweet flowers. Beautiful.

 

And, interestingly, when I was reading the reviews for House of Night after I had applied it, I read sarada's review and thought "Samhain? No way!" But whaddya know, about ten minutes later I was sitting at my computer and found myself thinking "Why does it smell like Samhain around here?"...sniffed my wrists and sure enough, it was House of Night. It had morphed into Samhain's softer, gentler sister.

[violetblue]

This one IS House of Night, I can see how the name came about! Dark greenery and heaviness, I can see why this one is a Funereal oil. I don't smell the lime, but I do notice the florals, which are mournful and dark. When I sniff it and close my eyes, I invision a dark graveyard full of beloved souls.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Powdery floral, but so much more.

 

Second Impression: House of Night, to me, is the other side of The Living Flame. The drydowns are similar in scent but the feeling and intention, the complete opposite. Where The Living Flame is the pinnacle of love and joy; House of Night is the death of that love. The sorrow following a profound loss. The complexity of the notes is mindbending, as is the beauty of this scent.

 

Final Analysis: Think The Living Flame doused by tears. Can't stop smelling my wrist.

[shelldoo]

complex, very

 

this is smokey, a tad fruity, a touch of greenery possibly pine and pretty floral., yet it is dark and yes somewhat like samhain. this is so complex and well blended it leaves me in awe.

[shadow]

I ordered this thinking it would be somewhat like Midnight for some reason. It's not, but it is beautiful. It's one of those that are fun to track because it has so much going on and is, like everyone has said, so complex.

 

When I open the vial and while wet on the skin, I smell cypress. I'm very worried, because cypress usually overpowers everything and gets really stinky on me. However, there's just a touch in this, because it never overpowers everything, it just deepens and dries the scent a little. Then I really worry because I get a sharp floral - almost jasminey, and I think I'm going to have to wash it off. Or try, anyway. But then I understand the Living Flame comparison - there's something sweet and almost fruity in here. I'm not sure what it could be. Maybe some residual sweetpea from Aeval? I thought I'd gotten all of it off, but maybe not. I have absolutely no idea what it is, but this is its perfumey phase. After a couple hours, it's still going strong, but the smell has deepened and richened and sweetened into something smoky and green.

 

I really like this one, and while I probably won't order any right now (summer's coming, and I can't see wearing this one in the heat) I think it will definitely be something I look forward to come Autumn.

[LiberAmoris]

Wow. House of Night is one of Beth's blends where when it comes to reviewing, I literally don't know where to start. I have no idea what the components could be in this---it's so well blended that it flows together seamlessly. All I can say is that when I first put this on my skin, it felt like the temperature around me dropped, and the smell of the forest at night (as mentioned above) was all around me. Like a cool undercurrent of fresh air filled with the smell of the ground and evergreens.

 

Once it's on for a while, I definitely see the comparions to Samhain. The drydown is very similar on me. I am tucking this imp away to use on fall nights when the temperature starts to drop. Really an amazing blend.

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- Green. This smells very green, like wet plants.

 

After 15 minutes- This smells Home Depot's garden center... or any nursery really. I can smell plants and bark and foliage, but no particular plant.

 

Summery- As it fades I can make out cypress as the main note in this. There is a faint whiff of lilies too. They are so soft and subtle my nose could not make them out at first. This truly does smell like a cemetery at night.

[Scylla]

In the vial: Very green and woodsy, with a touch of smoky sweetness. Reminds me of taking a walk in the woods in the moonlight.

 

Wet, on my skin: Still green and woodsy/mossy, but then some unrecognizable florals come to the forefront, with something kind of fruity--like apples--in the background, along with the woodsiness. This is lovely, and not at all what I was expecting from a fragrance called "House of Night!"

 

On drydown: I put this one on without having read previous reviews, and the first thing I thought after it dried down for about 15 minutes was, "Wow! This is Samhain without the heavy patchouli!" it!

[Northernminx]

Herbal and green in the bottle, this wasn't as floral as I expected on me. It was a very smokey, green scent on my skin. Initially there's a burst of anise/licorice that fades off into a sort of subtle floral underneath a lot of green herbs. Lovely and refreshing and a bit mysterious.

[AlectoNox]

In the vial - one of those soft scents that makes you want to lean in closer for another whiff. Which I did and ended up getting it on my nose! There is some soft musk at the base of this one that makes it velvety.

 

On my skin, the green starts to come out, but it doesn't smell quite dismal. A nighttime green, definitely, but there's something very beautiful and rich about it that I can't associate with 'dismal'. After a few minutes something sharper peeks out. It reminds me of a branch freshly cut off a tree...there is something resinous about it, but I couldn't pick out what type of tree it would be. It's just a touch of woodsy, not mossy or moist in any way, just woodsy. The florals in this are soft and understated, which is great for me because overly flowery doesn't work well on my skin. (note - I do have massive allergies so maybe some of you will get a stronger floral scent, but it's soft and just perfect when I smell it)

 

I really like the soft green tones in this one. It's like a much darker mistletoe, just a hint but enough to balance out the scent. I could swear I smell some light musk in this. It really does smell like fresh cut branches, green leaves, night, and a hint of flowers. Possibly the violets from the description? I am vaguely reminded of Midnight with this one, so maybe a combination of Midnight, Mistletoe and something foresty. It would be nice to layer with Chioptera, too. It really blends together well, and it's hard to describe because it's so subtle and unique.

 

Conclusion - very nice! =)

Edited May 1, 2005 by AlectoNox

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Something about this makes me think of Water of Notre Dame plus flowers and herbs. It's not aquatic, really. It's just the same pale green sort of scent. This is definitely interesting.

 

Wet on skin:

 

The florals really come out once this is on my skin, which isn't a surprise since my skin chemistry amps up florals to an insane degree. It's not matronly florals or girly florals, either...it's dark florals, almost menacingly gloomy smelling if that makes sense.

 

Dry down:

 

Basically the same as when it was wet, but with a touch of soapiness. This is very pretty, surprisingly. I say surprisingly because I don't - as a rule - do floral scents.

 

The bottom line:

 

I don't quite think I'll wear this enough to justify keeping it, but it's definitely nice.

[misfitroxy]

From the imp, I’m receiving a strong herbal note from this. It’s sinus-clearing, almost like spearmint. But it smells more like thyme.

 

It becomes even more herbal once on my wrist, leaning towards a fresh pine needle kind of crispness. Upon my next sniff, it’s starting to turn sweeter. The florals are dominant now, though no single flower is jumping out at me. They’re fruity florals as opposed to heady ones. Definitely more reminiscent of a bouquet as opposed to a garden or hothouse.

 

Unfortunately, it appears to be moving into a baby powder phase as it warms. It’s not unpleasant, but not something I’d scramble to smell like.

 

It’s a pretty smell, maybe slightly melancholy but more like the sun shining through a tree’s branches as opposed to night for me. The herbal elements are trying to push back through, complicating the powder. But it’s not going to be a wearable fragrance for me, sadly enough.

[olympia301]

 

More than the sum of its parts, House of Night turns into something new and far greater than a mixture of its elemental oils.

 

When wet, it's hard to tell what is so special about it. Just smells like another blend. Let this one dry down a bit. I was working on the computer after testing it on my arm and a fabulous, different, new, unbearably unique smell kept on wafting up to my nose. I can't describe it because we don't have the words which are adequate, but there is a gorgeous part to House of Night, and it appears in the weirdest places...

 

You can't know the fabulousness of House of Night by putting your wrist to your nose and breathing in, you just get the "another natural perfume blend" smell, it has to go through a certain amount of atmosphere and then to your nose, otherwise you don't detect it. Too close, and it's gone. Amazing. ...and if you are hunting it with your mind while smelling it, it will elude you there as well. You have to let it come to you, like a wild animal, if you chase it you will never catch it.

 

So, what is this illusive smell of fabulousness? To describe it I can only point you to the jasmine which blooms around the Mediterranean Sea in June. There is no other smell like it, and I don't know if Beth has gotten anything as particular as that, or her combination of scents has become a new element of smell, but this one is a triumph and should be more famous among us as something special and a true masterpiece of the perfumer's art.

 

In case you are wondering, the icon is from The Bluebird of Happiness and is Night in her house being visited by The Cat (lower left)

[JazzieCazzie]

This didn't work on me at all and so it's interesting to see the comparisons to Samhain, one of the most wonky scents ever to my nose ...

 

Upon application, this went completely and utterly sour, pungent and bitter on me. As it dried down it was much less offensive, to the point that I didn't feel the need to wash it off ... it was reasonably light and green and department-store-perfume on me for the rest of the day, not terribly strong or noticeable.

 

I wonder what note it was that hates me so much???

[tempete]

House of Night initially evokes an evergreen forest during the middle of a rainstorm. Not a violent thunderstorm, but a constant drizzle where everything is that dark, depressing grey. The green notes intensify and get sharper for a brief period, and then some sort of sweet resinous note takes over and gradually grows in strength, although it never completely pushes the greenery away. It will definitely suit my mood when the neverending rains return to Portland!

 

Now that I've read the other reviews, I can see why other reviewers mentioned a resemblance to Samhain. The evolution of House of Night is not as complex as either of Samhain, but it is a beautiful scent nonetheless.

[FireInCairo]

Total grief and sadness bottled. Death in flowers...death in bloom. Very soft and reassuring..

[slave1]

In Bottle: Floral and earthy.

 

On Skin: I like the dark woody smokiness that accompanies the greens. Very somber… The florals smell, dried not fresh… kind of powdery. This scent speaks of things that are old and hidden away… like going through an attic and finding flowers from long ago. Very pretty and original…

[Witch's Dagger]

House of Night

 

In the vial:

Faintly medicinal... Rosemary? Carnation?

 

On me:

Sweet, woah! Astringent, bitter, herbal. This is the poison scent I’ve been looking for! Sweet to lure the person in, to disarm them, to make them easy to fall, Herbal because the best poisons are green and alive, and Bitter, for the end. Not that I really want to poison anyone, but I love the romanticism around poisonings.

 

In 20 minutes:

We now add intoxicating and rapturous to the previous scents of sweet, herbal, and bitter. We get to seduce our victim before disarming him.

 

In 35 minutes:

Ooh, is that sandalwood? White musk? Vanilla? Tonka? Amber? It’s softening, it’s deeper, sweeter, very sophisiticated and classy. The perfect peaceful show after the deed. This woman will not be caught.

 

In 45 minutes:

It’s beginning to fade. I definitely think there’s either amber or sandalwood in this, because of the “incense” note I’m getting. Oh, this is exquisite.

 

Overall:

Mmm... *plots*

 

Edited to add: I'm glad this wasn't like Samhain on me Samhain was strangely mostly rum, butter, and caramel on me, none of which I particularly like. It spilled all over me, and I couldn't stand it after that, because all three of those were amplified so strongly it nearly made me sick. Just smelling the bottle after that had me closing it, and smelling something else afterwards. I couldn't even try it a second time.

Edited June 11, 2005 by Witch's Dagger

[brandileigh]

This oil wet smells just like liquid smoke, pine needles and dirt to me.

When it dries, the smoke leaves, which is disappointing because it smells great with that woodsy piney scent mixed in. It then proceeds to go very herbal/medicinal on me and I start to feel like I probably smell like one giant dried out herb.

 

I want it but I'm not going to get it, I have enough bottles I just sniff as it is

[ChupaChup]

Wow, House of Night is quite a morpher. It starts out a lot like Beltane, a greenish floral, but it has some note that goes a little off on me, it smells kind of earthy and humid. It reminds me a little of the humid part of Bayou. But if I keep my nose away from my wrist, the waft is really lovely. And then half an hour into the drydown, the waft becomes Hexennacht (which I love), it's all pine needles and smoke. Still, I get that funny off note when I sniff my wrist, a habit that's hard to break for a hardcore BPALer, so I don't see myself reaching for this one much.

[Shollin]

First sniff: A faintly sweet, slightly floral scent, backed by dryness… but all very faint and subtle. “Dismal green” had me worried, as it’s a perfect description of what vetiver does on my skin, but there doesn’t seem to be any here.

 

Wearing: I put this on a few hours after washing with Villainess’ Killer Beez soap, and when it hit my skin, it exploded into honeyed flowers. It toned down quickly, as always happens when I get a scent explosion, and the wrist-scent is again soft floral backed with dryness. It’s very pretty – I just hope it doesn’t go powdery as it dries.

 

Several hours later: Oh me of little faith. This stayed thoroughly gorgeous all night.