Death on a Pale Horse

[Bluestocking]

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: Yuzu, lime and mint, with a weedy, earthy undertone of patchouli and vetiver (thankfully restrained here). It's hazy and pale, yet herbal, green and tart. If this scent were a color, it would be a pale, translucent grey-green. I know that he has his own scent over in the Good Omens section, but this actually makes me think Pollution, rather than Death.
On, wet: Crushed green mint, yuzu and lavender are bright and sharp and in the forefront, while the patchouli and vetiver back off and sink down to the bottom, giving this an earthy base. The lily, geranium bourbon and sandalwood are very faint, but they're starting to warm up and sweeten everything, taking the sharp edge off the greener elements. White musk gives the whole thing a hazy quality.
On, dry: WOW. This is almost all lily, sandalwood, geranium bourbon and white musk, freshened up with a spritz of the citrus and lavender. The vetiver is totally gone, and the patchouli is really subtle, giving this depth. It's a very complex scent, but it's smooth and sweet and beautiful, actually sort of creamy. (I could almost swear this had vanilla in it.) It's pale, yes, but… I would call this peaceful, not empty.
Later: Drier, but still a very pale, pure scent. It's lily, sandalwood and white musk, with a sweet, woody tinge to it.
Overall: It's official: I love the "Come and See" oils. I was doubtful about this one from the imp scent, which was very sharp and herbal, but on my skin, it's actually amazing, and I'm now as nuts about this one as I was over The Bow and Crown of Conquest. The early stages are sharply green and earthy, but once the lily, sandalwood and geranium bourbon kick in, it becomes gorgeously complex, sweet and clean and peaceful over an earthy base. Excellent throw, too. Edited March 2, 2009 by Bluestocking

[GeorgeJr]

Okay , who knew Death could be so sweet & appealing ? I swear , this is one of the " cleanest " scents I've tried in a really long time . I don't know where the vetiver is in this , cause I'm really not getting it at all . I do get the touch of mint , mixed amongst the white musk , lime & other light , dry notes . Also getting the floral notes quite strongly . It does have a decent throw . Not quite sure how I feel about this one yet , May have to update this review down the road . I think I'm miffed a bit because I was expecting it to be at least slightly darker with things like vetiver & patchouli listed in the notes . Let me get past my missing out on two of my favorite ingredients then we'll see what I think .

So , a good hour or two after first applying this , it turned into a not so sweet , dry & darker scent I was hoping for in the first place . No idea why it's so floral upon first application , but maybe aging will change that .

Edited March 9, 2009 by CoopieCat

[zankoku_zen]

Ah, Death. You are patchouli with a hint of vetiver. That's it. Kinda stinky, kinda dirty, kinda clean.

 

...

 

Meh.

[diamondstars]

Patchouli doesn't work on me and I have a weird phobia of not being able to buy scents containing the 'd' word!

 

Swap pile methinks.

 

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Light amber/honey coloured oil. Harsh-bitter VETIVER and dirty-rooty patchouli with a bit of lavender. Strong, masculine, a little scary...

 

Wet: Vetiver is still pretty sour, but less STRONG - it reminds me a lot how it is in Thorns. More herbal. Some mint and a little lime, but sadly no yuzu. Some slightly powdery lily.

 

Dry: More lime, less vetiver and less patchouli. Finally a little geranium. Some perfumey-fresh sandalwood. The lavender and mint continue to be pleasantly herbal. Much lighter/softer.

 

Later: Sandalwood amping like crazy! But in a good way. Lots of white musk has emerged. This feels very cologney, now, and a little dry. I guess after Death strikes, things only improve?

 

Summary: Musky, herbal sandalwood with hints of lime, earthy patchouli, light vetiver and very faint floral powder. Oddly dry-warm and fresh-cool at the same time. Masculine, clean. Low throw.

 

Would be really yummy on a man.

 

[MisterShrapnel]

Embarrassing superficial reason for loving Death on a Pale Horse: I have a teeny teeny crush on the Death/The Grim Reaper--Not because he's dead, but because he's tall. (At least, he is in Good Omens, which is how I've always pictured him anyway. I think I have a thing for tall. And dead.)

 

Apparently the Reaper smells really nice. =D The yuzu brings Aizen-Myoo to mind, but whereas Aizen-Myoo is a cheerful pink and orange citrus-fruity-floral with tea, Death has a gorgeous bitter solemnity from the sandalwood as well as just the right dose of vetiver/patchouli, and yet remains very civil overall. Mainly yuzu, lime, and the mint (less green than Envy, more "sparkly" than Mourning Moon), with a base of sheer white musk and some grounding from the other notes. Not as much lavender+manly musk as in, say, Villain. I was expecting the calla lily and geranium bourbon to be high and keening or else soapy as florals can sometimes go, but they're very gentle here too. They add a hint of that fougere tone, which is a plus in my book.

The Bow and Crown of Conquest was a little too... cowboy (?) for me to really enjoy wearing, but this is excellent. I'm pretty impulsive with my scent choices, but this could be a new favorite.

Actually this shares a lot of notes and thus a teeny bit of resemblance to the Trading Post's Holiday Stress Relief Bath Oil. Ironic? Or not: I'm pretty sure Death doesn't stress about his job too much. D:

Part of me really wants to see what man-chemistry does to this.

[tragedy]

the vetiver throws me off on this one, its almost a good dirt smell... then the vetiver just kinda kills it, I'm not too keen on the heaviness of the florals either...

 

I get too excited by the names sometimes

 

 

 

 

Edited to say: that while this smells not too great on me, it is very nice on the hubby. He warms it up and it smells of sandalwood, lavender and a subtle warm patchouli. On him, more cool skinned, it brings out all the notes I wanted it to bring out on me.

Edited June 1, 2009 by tragedy

[GreenSpine]

I get primarily white musk, patchouli, vetiver, and lime, with lavender leading the flowers in the background. It's complicated - sharp and soft all at the same time. It definitely evokes the concept for me.

 

It needs a little bit of age - my fresh bottle was a big disappointment after finishing my imp, but after a few weeks/month, the new bottle became just as lovely. This is one of my favorite and most reached-for blends in hot weather, and one of my top ten scents overall.

[liquidtrance]

Wow! The vetiver, sandalwood, maybe mint are apparent first sniff. This scent gives a warm feeling. It's soft like the other scents I've tried with vanilla.. But this is comforting, too. The lime and yuzu bring a brightness to the scent, but subtle at first becoming more forward. I love the sharpness there. Not too much, mellowed by the other calmer notes.

[revinn]

Frimp-a-limp. Thanks Lab! The description for this one scares me a bit, but we shall see.

 

Initial Smell from Imp: Little bit of citrus, a little bit of sandalwood. It's surprisingly light!

 

Wet: I don't know. I might smell a little lime, but it's faint. I definitely smell lavendar, it's very herbal. Something that smells almost like a grapefruit is hovering just under the herbal smell.

 

Dry: The same as wet. It's not my thing, too herbal and green.

 

Out of 10: 4

[ImperatrixMundi]

There I was, thinking that I have nothing to wear for summer, only all that heavy musk and incense I tend to accumulate Along comes Death on a Pale Horse. I had no idea what to expect but was totally thrilled by the concept and I love most of the featured notes. On me this has turned out to be mostly yuzu and lime with white musk, reminds me a bit of Embalming Fluid. Then the citrus backs off a bit and the sandalwood shines through. For some reason all the floral and earthy notes are not prominent at all. It smells almost a bit japanese, with the yuzu and sandalwood.

 

So Death smells bright, soft and slightly sweet. Not like a dusty skeleton draped in a musty black robe. More like a swirling and bright spectral appearance. Maybe my swap imp is already aged a bit because the vetivert, mint and lavender are not in it at all. But I love it and want a bottle now because it is a little sinister but refreshing and beautiful and very wearable as an everyday scent in summer. Who would have thought!

 

Edited to add:

Well - I eventually caved in and got a bottle of this. With no regrets. The lab-fresh bottle smells just like the imp I have had before, no difference due to being aged more or less.

It is just odd, no vetivert, patchouli and lily (which is usually a sharp and pungent floral on me) to be detected. They must be blended in very subtly. So if you are worried about the vetivert or patchouli - don't be, you might not find it at all here.

Edited July 1, 2010 by ImperatrixMundi

[PersephonesChild]

I've been considering this scent for years now-- mint, yuzu, and lime, geranium, call lilly, and sandalwood all sound lovely, but lavender, patchouli and vetiver are things I've never gotten along with-- I mean, there are two absolute deal-breaker notes in this, and I don't think a vetiver scent has ever been a favorite.

 

I sniffed this at a M'n'S yesterday, though, and I had to have it. I tried it on this morning, and I realized why-- it smells exactly like the alpine meadows in the Wasatch in Utah, where my parents live, a mix of flowers and mint and sage-- though sage isn't listed, though patchouli and vetiver ought to be ruining this for me, they don't. It's absolutely spot-on.

 

I imagine I will need more than an imp of this.

[ralenth]

Source: Imp RIS from Dianora

 

In the imp: Faintly citrus with a tinge of floral.

 

Wet: Lime and a little bit of powdery floral. I've really got to keep my nose to my skin as this one is hanging pretty close.

 

Drydown: Yuzu peeks in, but everything is still really faint.

 

Dry: Finally, vetiver! Yes! Vetiver, though late to the party, takes and aggressive stance. Yuzu and lime climb into the backseat and trample the heck out of the powdery floral that I wasn't too keen on. Now we're talkin'!

 

Overall: I agree that dry, DoaPH has a sort of gravity to it. I'm definitely going to need to retest to formulate a more coherent opinion when I am off of the painkillers, but I think it's safe to say that I do like it. Maybe not enough for a bottle, but it's too soon to tell.

 

[tajana]

When I first apply it, it's all backwards: the base notes are hitting me before the lighter elements. All I get for a few seconds is patchouli, deep patchouli, further darkened with burnt vetiver, and then it's pierced by a sliver of dry white sandalwood and a breath of hazy white musk. The lavender and mint kick in like a sudden gust of wind, fused together into one sensation of herbal chill. I never get any discernible citrus for certain but it might be contributing to the sharp freshness. All in all, the progression seems quite appropriate for "death".

 

After a while on my wrist, the floral notes kick in and meld with the lavender and pale blend of sandalwood and clean white musk, cutting through the subdued but dark vetiver/patchouli base. The result is a lovely man's cologne, clean but slightly earthy, light but solemn. Tragically, the perfume faded faster than I expected, and clinging close to my skin was little more than oddly bitter vetiver, geranium bourbon, a wisp of sandalwood, and the feeble remains of floral cologne.

[cleske]

Very sharp and green. I'm having real trouble picking out any notes in this one, so it's difficult to say that about it I dislike. It's not hateful to me, but there's something in there that doesn't smell the same as coconut but gives me the same vibe, and it's an automatic turn off for me. It's like grapefruit and coconut had a lovechild... and although one parent is very attractive to me (grapefruit!) you just can't thwart those coconut genes...

 

 

[BuxomM]

It's mainly wood with a floral and a bit of musk, masculine.

[angelicruin]

Inside the imp, light fruit musk and mint.

 

On the skin, lime and mint, lily and white musk.

 

On drydown, patchouli note emerges. Lime and white musk remain. No vetiver on my skin.

[HamletsKeeper]

Bottle Sniff Mint, thyme and pine bark in that order. Although I actually think it's the yuzu and something else which is giving the pine bark smell here. Very alpine.

 

Wet Sharp and bitter just like a scythe. Something oddly coniferous green that then rounds out to pine needles. It's like ice water up your nostrils in the refreshing effect it has.

 

Drydown I know this is the yuzu but still I keep thinking pine needles, it's that kind of waxy bitterness. Even though these scents are all astringent it's not at all like cologne. Much lighter, sharper and clearer. Kind of like the different between stainless steel and glass. Both are sharp and cut but one is heavy and earthy while the other is air. This is the air of astringent scents. It's now settling into a white wood and citrus\mint scent that I quite like. I cannot wear patchouli at all but it seems to be entirely absent in this blend, likewise there is absolutely no smoke from vetiver either.

 

I'm loving this one. This is going to be my high-summer scent when I want to smell like an icy mint julep or something else frozen and highly alcoholic. It doesn't smell alcoholic or boozey at all, it's just crystal clear and sharp like the burn you get from tequila or vodka. Very high mountain stream trickling through patches of snow kinda thing. Big bottle coming right up.

 

Revisted - now I know why I love this scent. It's almost identical to Oberon which I have. Oberon is slightly woodier but they both come off on me as evergreen scents of a very similar type. I smell no lavender at all in Death, it's all evergreen and crisp air. Oberon is Juniper and crisp air.

Edited October 2, 2009 by HamletsKeeper

[Diva Urd]

Vial: This is a strange mixture. I primarily get lavender, vetiver and lime from the vial, although I can tell that there is a lot more going on in there. It smells strangely familiar, but I can't for the life of me tell where I've smelled this before.

 

On: The same three notes I get in the imp predominate. I think I know now what this reminds me of... for some reason, I associate this with hospitals. Which is fitting for the "death" theme, I get, but... er, yeah. But even if it wasn't for that association, I wish there was less lavender in this.

 

Later: It gets very faint, the lavender is the most prevalent note and the one that sticks around the longest. I don't hate this scent, but I don't think I want any more.

[sarielswish]

First off, I must say I am in *love* with this one.

 

Wet in the vial, the first thing I get is *cold*. Primary notes are LAVENDER, mint, yuzu and lime, with a little of the vetiver on the underside. The impression of that acidic white-green associated with sickness and radiation is almost palpable. Very appropriate, as that's always the shade I've connected with the Pale Rider imagery. The lavender, which usually makes me a little ill, is very well balanced.

 

Immediately, *drool*. The yuzu and lime fall off almost immediately, but the mint hangs around. Without the yuzu and lime, it's a little less cold, but still there. Here, the vetiver and lily are more pronounced. It smells almost like graveyard loam - that earthy greenness that is almost *overgrowth*.

 

10-15 minute dry-down - The yuzu and lime are pretty much gone, unfortunately. I'm still getting that wonderful earthy greenness, though.

 

1 hour dry-down - Ok, now there's the musk. It was kinda hiding behind the lavender, it seems. I'm really not getting anything of patchouli, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The sandalwood is there, but really faint.

 

2 hour dry-down - Now it almost smells like a crypt, if you've ever been around one that's crumbling or broken. The sandalwood, vetiver, and musk give it an almost dusty smell, the patchouli an earthiness, and the lavender and lily a faint funereal flower-like scent. It's lovely.

 

 

The hubby is in lust with this one, too. :-)

[Venneh]

Got frimped this in a recent swap, interested to see how it turns out, cause lavender can take a blend to nothing on me, and patchouli and vetiver are two of my death notes, but the rest could balance it out and make it all interesting like.

 

In the imp, this smells like lavender, patchouli, and vetiver. Uhm.

 

On my skin, this turns into a combination of patchouli and vetiver, with a faint floral edge. We'll see what time does to it. And the patchouli and vetiver wins out, sadly. Not for me. Swaps/sales.

Edited November 24, 2009 by Venneh

[Sawasdee]

Received this as a frimp.

On wet: This is very well blended, as it's difficult to make out any of the single notes. Initially, I'm getting a clean, herbal floral. The yuzu, lime, and lavender are creating a light green scent, with the mint in the background giving this a bit of a chill.

Drydown: this becomes a little more of a powdery soft floral and grounded nicely by a little sandalwood. Thankfully, the patchoulli and and vetiver never made an appearance.

I'm glad I got try out this blend, but it's not for me, as I'm not usually into citrus/herbal scents. I see this as being too soft of a scent for the hubby either. Also, this stayed very close to the skin and disappears completely after a couple of hours.

[Sunscorched]

I put it on and the man I've being trying to land for two years is coming to my house right now.

 

End of review.

 

Well, for now!

 

[moon_lemming]

Death on a Pale Horse is sandalwood and lavender while it's wet. As it dries it picks up the powder-feel of white musk and the high-pitched soapiness that means lilies on my skin, while the lavender backs off considerably.

 

It ends up as a grounded white floral with a bit of a citrus edge to it. It would make a good linen spray, but I don't like it on my skin.

[impolight]

:::DEATH ON A PALE HORSE:::

 

http://www.apocalyptic-theories.com/galler...yneshorsebg.jpg

 

From the Bottle, Death On a Pale Horse smells much sweeter than those pesky preconceived notions!

The Lab's notes listed both Vetiver and Patchouli, not to mention Yuzu, so the idea was that this fragrance was going to have an unsettling edge to it... A measure of despair if not a few glinty points of maliciousness.

Death On a Pale Horse is very sweet at this stage; almost bringing "On Darkness" to mind. Chocolate and Poppies... Subtly medicinal.

A brief ping of alcohol.

On the Skin: The Patchouli has made an appearance, though in a guest starring sort of way.

Lavender is somewhere way in the background, identifiable, but surprisingly faint.

The Lime mixes with the Sandalwood and sharpens it... One of the first truly pointy bits to this fragrance!

Vetiver has been too bashful to participate in Death On a Pale Horse, though, which is more than a little sad... The Lab has made this note one to appreciate.

Death On a Pale Horse gets better the longer it sits on the skin. Some of the sweetness in this gets... Dessicated.

Now, it is all the more apparent why this could be associated with the end of all things.

There is a beauty here, but more in the maddening heartache that it is gone forever more.

Unattainable...

Death On a Pale Horse is a brilliant fragrance concocted by the Lab and no amount of applause could do it the slightest justice.

The perspective from the Wife: Mmmmmmm... You smell like a Pina Colada! 0_o.

On Him, Death On a Pale Horse is pure terror... It strongly suggests adopting submissive posture and body language.

On Her, Death On a Pale Horse is a scarred tragedy that weeps tears of blood.

Death On a Pale Horse is terribly beautiful.

A flawless masterpiece.

5 out of 5!

Edited May 19, 2010 by Silvertree