Death on a Pale Horse

[blood*rose*flowers]

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

The End of All Things: empty white musk and mint seeped with solemn lavender, doleful patchouli and vetiver, scythe-sharp yuzu and lime, with geranium bourbon, white sandalwood and calla lily.

In the Imp: A deep scent of musk and patchouli with a subtle flower backdrop

on wet: This scent is not as strong or dark as I would have thought, first reading the description. Its a bit ozoney with its perfect blend of floral and deep. Nothing is coming forward on me everything is in balance making it difficult to pick out any one scent.

drydown: The deeper scents are coming forward but thankfully not the vetiver (which does not like me). This is becoming very patchouli musk forward. The Sandalwood also seems to be coming forward as well while the florals seem to have all ran away. This is a darker scent now. Wow the Sandalwood is making this so nice!

Overall: A well blended scent with a lovely sandalwood scent with at some sniffs the tiniest tinge of white florals to the back.

For me personally I never would have picked this scent since many of the listed notes don't like me at all. I must say its not as masculine as I would have first thought and smells really nice on the dry down. Though its not me I have to say this is one of those scents that reminds me sometimes I have to just give in and try something new even if I think the notes will do horrors to me. This so much nicer then I ever would have thought!! Edited September 17, 2007 by clover

[QueenFae]

A very subtle yet complex scent. The sandalwood comes out on top, but it's a very gentle, soothing sandalwood. I can smell the vetiver, which I usually don't like, but it keeps quiet enough to give a lovely, earthy effect to the oil. The lavender and lime are well blended, but they are there if you are looking for them, and they are what gives this blend a masculine feel. There's a very faint incensey patchouli note floating somewhere in the background. I think this will smell fantastic on my husband, and it smells pretty darn good on me too

[Blood onmy hands]

This doesn't smell anything like I had imagined it would. When I first applied it, I thought that it smelled very green and white. Like standing next to a crystal clear stream on a bed of mossy rocks with ferns growing all around. Perhaps it is the mint and white musk? It smells more of ozones and aquatics than the earths and woods that I was expecting. I'm not getting any vetiver or patchouli at all. Overall this just smells very clean.

After a half hour... this one has really sank into my skin. I can smell a faint trace of something powdery and clean lingering on my wrists. It's strange because I don't feel like I'm really smelling any of the notes that I am supposed to. I really like this one though. I'll keep my imp around to re-test on a later date and see if any of the earthiness comes out.

ETA 2012: Got a recent imp of this and it still smells very faint and soapy-clean, but also kinda like pineapple. Weird.

ETA 2016: This still doesn't smell like it should, lol. The new frimp I have of this smells like a smoky, incensey, warm, slightly powdery amber (the vetiver and sandalwood? maybe?) with a bit of an ashy, warm vetiver undertone.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Little Bird

[slave1]

In Bottle: Patchouli and dirt

 

On Skin: I don’t like this one. I hate to start my review like that, but I hate patchouli and it’s almost all I can smell. There is also a very “drit” like note that is dry and not so pretty. The sandalwood is there, I like that… the Call Lily is very light… I’m a little sad about that. The yuzu is very sharp and along with the lime create a tart note. I’m thinking the mint is the herbal dirty note I’m smelling. The scent seems a bit medicinal and masculine. Not for me sadly.

[sarada]

I like this one and I have no idea where to begin with it.

 

First, the thing that really struck me about this scent was how glassy and transparent it smelled to me. Most scents give me a synaesthetic color association but this strikes me as perfectly clear. Another review compared it to a clear stream running over rocks and that is also how it strikes me.

 

I'm guessing that the slicing, clean scent is a combination of the citrus (lime, yuzu) and sharp mint with the cleansing lavender. A glassy blade or a chill dip in a stream. But underneath, there is soil. Rich, gritty, clean soil. I really love it when it starts to come out, later in the transformation. Sterile, but earthy.

 

I don't know if I would wear this enough to warrant a bottle but it's a fascination scent and a real delight to experience. It has a very mineral quality to it, and I am so baffled by this "clean/dirty" association that I can't stop sniffing.

[Fefferbella]

Patchouli and dirt

 

There is also a subtle boozy note underneath. Sadly the whole blend fades quickly.

 

I really like this blend, but it has no throw or staying power on my skin.

[cuervosueno]

One of my favorite novellas is katherine Ann Porter's Pale Horse, Pale Rider, which of course this reminded me of, so I was so looking forward to trying this. And there are many notes I enjoy: pachouli, vetiver, musk, sandalwood....

 

But when I sniffed the imp, I would never have guessed what was in it. In the imp I smelled herbal sharpness--is that lavender, I wondered? (no, it wasn't, but the scent had a clean sharpness I associate with lavender). I wasn't surprised when I saw mint--that was where the herbal scent was coming from, and the clean sharpness is likely the Yuzu.

 

It stays clean and light on me. I never get pachouli at all, or much vetiver, though there is a greenness in the drydown that is probably vetiver. I can smell the white sandalwood, but that's about it. It is a light herbal scent that for some reason evokes a sword--the sharpness I guess of Yuzu and herbs--more than the Great Sword of War does.

 

Its not a favorite, but not bad either. I'll likely swap away my imp, though.

[emzebel]

Some literary visions of death are very singular. Some envision that all people and beings receive a Death of their own vision, tailored to their own beliefs and views and the specific situation and station of their passing.

 

So, it would seem, is Death on a Pale Horse. For what I smell from this would appear to be very different from those that have reviewed before me.

 

My Death is one of crystalline relief - a blessed escape from the horsemen that have come before, from War, Famine and Pestilence (this is not a comment on these oils, which I've enjoyed quite thoroughly, actually, but on the story and concept itself).

 

For me, this is a lavender fugue. A raising of the spirit, through herbs - the lavender primarily, with hints of the lime and mint with the other notes as a somber back drop. I cannot smell the patchouli in this at all, the sandalwood, musk and vetiver are soft and tamed. This is very similar to Old Scratch to my nose, but more interesting and complex.

 

I like this Death and can see myself welcoming a bottle of him into my home.

[hangingfire]

In the imp: The musk is right there up front, backed up by patchouli and a little vetiver. The darker scents are cloaked in a light floral haze. Not so much as a whiff of mint.

 

On, wet: Patchouli mostly, softened by sandalwood and musk. Yuzu and lime offer a welcome sharpness.

 

Drydown: Well, I was a little worried about the lavender in the mix (a scent which I really like, but cannot wear), but this one dries down very nicely. It ends up being a musky, woody blend; primarily sandalwood as others have said, softened and enriched by the other elements in the mix.

 

The imp is a definite keeper. I'd also recommend this to any fans of Guerlain's Shalimar.

[Voleuse]

This is sharp and white on first application, the lime lending it a jagged edge. It's an incredibly well-blended scent--I have difficulty identifying the individual components, even though I get the effects of each. The sharpness of citrus, the cool of mint, the dust of lavender, the masculinity of vetiver. None of them is distinguished from the other, but they're all definitely there.

 

This is a masculine scent, though a light one. It's barely floral, and very addictive. I can't stop sniffing my arm!

[laochodia]

This is one weird scent. I smelled only white musk and lime in the imp, but I put it on anyway. Scent dissapeared the second it touched my skin. I mean gone-or so I thought. Sat down to write a sad review and offer it up for swap. Realized I was doing nothing but sitting there taking deep, contented sniffs of the air. This scent doesn't scent on me, but the air around me is as surrounded as if I had put on my boyfriend's tshirt (after a long day of killing people and leading the army of hell, of course.)

 

This is what most cologne dreams of being. Deep, spicy without being overpowering, slightly sweet, a bit tart and just musky enough to make my brain go :guh:.

[Celogrl]

This is SO complex, I can't begin to describe this with any justice. Suffice it to say, this is exquisite. I like it more as I continue to use it. It's deep without being suffocating and it is quite mysterious. I am not usually a vetiver fan, but I like it this time! The fresh lime balances the darkness just enough. This has become a new favorite.

[aidenraine]

Wet on my skin this has a very dusty quality to it - like leather and sandalwood. It sweetens a bit as it dries but leaves my nose with a bit of a hangover when I pull away from smelling it. I can very faintly smell the tartness of lime.

 

(I do love lime.)

 

Actually, I love most of the ingredients.

Somehow together they're not jumping out at me though. I like this blend, but I don't love it... yet. I do kind of wish I had a sachel of it to scent my dresser drawers though.

 

There's something in here reminding me of generic soap and it could be the geranium, which tends to do that.

 

It does seem a little faint on my skin.

It eventually just becomes sweet and pleasant. I like the way it smells on my skin after a long time.

[Lycanthrope]

Death smells like flowers. Or the pale horse does, but yeah. Of the four Come and See scents, Death is the most subtle, and sticks out the least to me. That said, it is a well-blended oil, and I enjoy it a lot.

 

In the bottle, it smells very 'bark-y,' kind of like cedar or oak bark finely shredded up so that the dusty aroma hangs in the air - like paper or parchment. There's a hint of darker, duskier grassiness, which is a subtle drop of vetiver, with a faint, ghostly whisper of lavender hovering over the entire blend. On my skin, it keeps pulling back until it remains a slightly dark, mildly creamy lavender, with not much waft.

[kilobytesprite]

This is a sharp one. A really sharp sandalwood. I generally don't like patchoulli, so I'm thankful I can't find it on my skin. I get all the other green scents with little to no musk as well.

 

Mack? Mack hates it. One sniff and he was across the room.

 

We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

 

*/*/*Edit for staying power

 

Within an hour it seemed to be gone from my wrists. It hung out pretty hardcore, though, on my neck and what stuck around was a sharp musk smell with green hints.

 

Mack still is not interested in it, which is good in my book. Everyone at work loved it. I just wish it wanted to hang around me more. Heh.

Edited January 27, 2006 by kilobytesprite

[blu°]

This starts out slightly green and leathery, a little bit cologney.

As it dries a dusty note takes over and turns the whole scent into this very dense and dusty something, ever so slightly reminiscent of the mineral-ness of Alone.

 

More than that, this when dry (especially in its throw which seems to be gigantic) resembles the scent of an Yves Rocher powdery foundation my mother used to have when I was a child. It's a scent I immediately associate with cosmetics/make up products, if a little bit on the masculine side because of the leathery note.

 

I can't quite isolate any of the ingredients, really. There is sth slightly yellow-green-fruity-ish, a very leathery something which I can't really place. There's the diffused-ness of lavender without me being able to smell lavender as such. Finally there's the dry dusty phase which I think is mainly cared for by the sandalwood and maybe vetiver.

 

Very dry and dusty on me. I think I'll swap this imp, but might give it another try first.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: sharp fruits and lots of flowers.

on: lots of lime and something that smells like kiwi. very fruity.

1 hour later: mostly lavender and sandalwood.

2.5 hours later: pretty much gone. i might still be getting a hint of sandalwood.

overall: this is nice, but i don't think i'd wear it.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Sharp, ozoney and cologney

 

On me:

When I first put this on, I got a really strong "cologne" vibe from it. My initial thought was "Oh no, I can't wear this". The lavender, the lime and yuzu were coming through loud and clear and the vetiver was dry and dusty. It was overall too sharp and masculine.

 

HOWEVER - it totally changed! 15 minutes in, and this is a whole different scent. I do not get masculine from this (I get very gender neutral from this scent), I don't get those sharp cologne vibes, and I'm not getting vetiver anymore. What I AM getting is a lovely sandalwood and patchouli combo, which is dry and warm and tempered by a slight sweetness (the bourbon I believe), on a powdery background of VERY faint lavender and ever-so-slight citrus. The sandalwood and patchouli are definitely prominent on me.

 

And those that fear the "l" word - lavender. I feel you. But if you like sandalwood and patchouli - TRY THIS ANYWAYS!

 

Final note:

I find this to be a rather warm, comforting scent - despite the name lol. It's quite a change to go from me thinking I would put it in my swap pile, to me thinking I might need a bottle. And I am definitely thinking that

[gingersnapp]

I was apprehensive of the vetiver, because that is the most dominant note with my skin chemistry in just about every blend, and it renders all other notes unsmellable.

 

But there is something else in this particular blend that is tempering it quite nicely. Keeping it in check, so to speak.

 

On my skin, this is light and masculine, somewhat spicy with a bit of a peppery punch. I would say the musk is the most prominent, but other than that, I can't really pinpoint any particular note. It's just a quiet masculine blend. Somewhat grounding, somewhat calming.

[Thaleia]

Surprisingly, this wasn't the Patchouli Headache I was expecting. I was wary of the 'doleful patchouli' but in the bottle, out of all of the four Come and See scents, this was the lightest, and when I put it on, there was no patchouli from start to finish. Sad and melancholy, evocative of loss in the way Annabel Lee is, and yet not as sweet and innocent. Hers is fresher, more aquatic, while this is woodier and heavier with the sharpness of lime, yuzu, and lavender. Untimely death, the Final Judgment, the cutting words of judgment and descent into Hell.

 

You'd think that with the vetiver, sandalwood, and patchouli, this'd be really heavy, a portent of rejection from Heaven, but it's not. It's a floral, held down by a slight woodiness. Heaven's boring. Hell's where all your friends are. Have fun! 9/10.

[AlaskaSnows]

My second Come and See scent, and my second really great men's cologne. I am terrible at describing men's scents, but this is musky, and has lime, and a bit of wood, it's bright and active. I love it! One more for the Man's Pile.

[olympia301]

 

A very masculine and green blend. I was surprised by all of the ingredients in here because Death on a Pale Horse ends up smelling simple and straightfoward. That is a tribute to the seamless combinations that Beth can think up.

 

Yes, there were some vague florals in the background and that is what keeps it from being too mundane a "men's cologne" scent...it is the charm of Death on a Pale Horse. It lasts a very long time and has a happily primative relaxed man's air to it because of its greenesst. Smells like a guy who has been chopping down blooming weeds all day long, in other words a great earthy scent.

 

The icon is a sketch by Albrecht Durer, death on a horse. Look at the bell hanging from the horse's neck. I interpret that as a plague or leper bell to warn people of Death's approach.

[desu]

In the bottle: Sharp, dry herbals.

 

On the skin: The lime is really out in front of everything else while wet. The sandalwod, vetivert, and lavender casually begin to make an appearance later on.

[Neely]

In the bottle: green herbally goodness. Smell the lavender.

 

Wet: green herbally goodness and lavender. I love this!

 

Dry down: this is clean, and fresh. The lavender really starts to appear. This is green smelling. I cannot stop sniffing myself!

 

30 minutes: soft herbally lavender. Smells very much like a gentlemen's Victorian cologne. Smells more masculine to me, which is just fine, as I do better with masculine scents.

 

Conclusion: who knew Death could smell so good? The lavender is lovely, not soapy. This scent makes me think of Death from all the Terry Prachett books. Especially the "Good Omens" book. This is what I imagine Death in his books would smell like.

 

Rating 1-5 on my skin, this is a 4.5.

[quikslvr]

At first: dark, masculine, mostly patchouli and vetiver, yet strangely aquatic. Perhaps that's the lavender playing off the vetiver?

 

As the blend comes together (and that is what it feels like), it's magical. A light musk fougere with a dark undertone. Perfectly masculine, perfectly dark romantic.

 

I'm not taking my paws off this one unless to apply to someone I like. I didn't think I'd like it at first, but now I'm convinced. I'm very glad this one came together so well.