Dance of Death

[Nikki Scarlet]

A gloriously elegant representation of Lady Death. Dry, bone-white orris, black musk, serpentine patchouli and our murkiest myrrh.

 

Another frimp! While I like the name and theme, I'm not so sure about the notes. This could be a big no for me.

In the imp and on me, wet:
. . . Kind of syrupy. Sweeter than I was expecting, actually! There's definitely a smokiness to it as well, but we'll see how it plays as it dries.

On me, dry:
"Dance" is an appropriate descriptor for what this scent does. Sometimes it's sweet, sometimes it's bitter or sour. Sometimes it's smoky, sometimes it's fresh and airy. Sometimes it's a wet and musty smell, and sometimes it's dry and dusty. Every change just seems one step over from the previous sniff: related, but different each time. It doesn't seem to last very long on me, though, and it dies down to just kind of a faint powder. Perfumed ashes in the wind.

Verdict:
I don't exactly *like* this scent, but I find it really interesting. It absolutely reflects the idea of Lady Death in many forms. Part of me wants to swap it away to someone who'll appreciate it more than I do, but part of me wants to keep it just because of the experience it creates. Might keep it for now to see how or if it grows on me.

[achildoftime]

I'm actually pretty darn impressed with this. I usually turn myrrh to soap, but I'm not getting any of that from Dance of Death. It's mostly a pretty gritty patch and some really inky black musk. I think it stays pretty consistent on me with a light vein of powder pulsing in and out for the first hour. It's not my normal thing, but I like it anyway.

[strick9]

In the imp, everything is blended beautifully. Dusty patchouli, dusty orris, and if musk can be grey, this would be it. The black musk isn't strong in the imp at all but it's there in the background.

 

Wet, this smells like grey, damp dirt; lichen, oak moss. It quickly turns into something dusty and ancient, and the myrrh gets amped. I feel like this is the aftermath of Brimstone.

as this dries, a bit more orris comes forward and so does the black musk. oh man- this is decidedly dark, elegant, sexy, and almost sinister. It's gorgeous. There isn't a lot of patchouli here; it's creeping out in the background kinda anchoring and backing up everything else.

 

About 10 minutes in, and the orris has gone entirely too powdery. it's not elegant anymore- its too musty. It reminds me of something a grieving victorian widow would wear, and not in a good way. Apparently I amp orris pretty strongly. I might have the beginnings of a headache.

 

Sigh- the orris totally blew this for me. Into the trade pile it goes.

Edited October 8, 2017 by strick9

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: Super strong orris backed by myrrh.

 

Wet: The orris note dominates, followed by the myrrh, and then a bit of black musk and patchouli. The black musk note seems to be getting stronger as it sits on my skin.

 

Dry: Orris, myrrh, and black musk. It's really powdery on my skin. I'm not getting any patchouli at the moment. The myrrh is stronger during this phase, so that it's mostly orris and myrrh.

 

Verdict: Orris just turns to powder on me, and sadly, it was the main player here. The orris and myrrh combination just make it even more powdery than orris would be on its own. This one is not for me.

[Lucchesa]

Dance of Death, a frimp from a generous forumite, was not on my wishlist, maybe because all four notes can be iffy on me, orris in particular. So I'm a bit surprised that I am enjoying it this much. Yes, the orris is bone-dry, dusty, and overwhelms the blend when wet, but soon enough the myrrh and black musk emerge with a velvety quality. The patch is in hiding for the first hour and very subdued thereafter. This isn't the sort of thing I usually wear, but it is rich and strange, and I'm definitely keeping the imp.

[Minh Scent]

I just got into my imp of this and absolutely love it! Beautiful long lasting powdery orris supported by rich resins.