The Bow & Crown of Conquest

[tacey]

Nobility and haughtiness befitting the Antichrist: sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather.

I revisited this imp as part of my new-found interest in lavender blends. First, I should say this is NOT a lavender-prominent scent, although I think it does affect the blend, it's not clearly identifiable to me.

Initially, it was very vanilla, with a faint, higher edge that I think was the contribution of the lavender and carnation. Pretty!

Later into the dry scent, the cedar came out and generally took over. Booo! So, in the end, it didn't work for me, but I definitely enjoyed the initial stages.

[Schmoozy]

 

Herbal, woodsy leather mingles with carnation and vanilla. Whats not to love. It's masculine yet completely feminine. It contains alot of my favorite notes - Cedar, leather, carnation and lavender. The vanilla lightly sweetens the well worn leather and the sage combined with lavender produce this utterly herbal intoxicating scent.

[Cheri]

Like Schmoozy said this is intoxicating, and only a brilliant person (like Beth) could pull off a combination of notes including white musk and leather. I love white musk but usually suffer with the sinuses the entire time I'm wearing it. This doesn't do that for some reason, and although it seems more masculine, I think anyone could wear it. I don't smell the lavender at all. When dry its just sweet leather and I'm definitely going to get my husband to try it. Really nice scent. Warning: Be careful driving while wearing this. Its not good to drive with your nose stuck to your wrist.

[ClareDeLune]

Creamy, woodsy leather. I also get a note that makes me think of painting... like linseed oil or something. I love, love this scent. It's sexy and smooth and perfect.

Edited September 25, 2009 by ClareDeLune

[angelicruin]

Cedar and sage while wet. Dries down to a woodsy leather on my skin.

[Ankica]

I love when lavender hides itself inside of scent...

It is masculine a bit (or a lot)... I will give it to my husband to try...

I like it and wouldn't mind wear it. maybe even mix it with another one.

 

[stellans]

I got this as a frimp in my very first BPAL order, and being in the throes of lavender madness, was very disappointed in the lack of lavenderness and put it in my 'try again later' pile.

 

Fast forward to earlier this year: I am now wholly owned by the Lab's leather notes, and when searching out all such, rediscovered my put-by imp of this blend, and...wow. Just wow. This is such a lovely, lovely leather blend that I am bitterly sorry for all the time I've wasted not wearing it before now!

 

I still get little or no lavender when wearing this, nor really do any of the other notes stand out in a major way, but the leather is not at all harsh and overpowering. On the contrary, I think the reason the sage, carnation, cedar and vanilla all combine so very well that they support the leather to the heights of delight it reaches in my nose. There is a smooth gentleness to this leather, like a beloved pair of supple and soft gloves, which fit better than anything else. I don't even like vanilla, but I don't think this would be the same blend without it. I can't smell the lavender, but it is essential to the blend as a whole.

 

This is probably my favorite of all the Lab's leather blends; itsmells like no other leather blend I own, and I love it. Love it, love it, love it. LOVE. IT. Five of 5 stars.

Edited April 16, 2011 by stellans

[papermaker]

This is a without a doubt bottle purchase for me. I had been a little worried about the cedar and sage, but I shouldn't have been. It all blended amazingly together. It seems to be a creamy lavender vanilla, with hints of leather, sage, and cedar. The sage and cedar add a counterpoint to the leather so it does not become the scent of a dominatrix on my skin.

[ami226]

The first time I tried this scent, I really didn't like it. I just received an imp though and thought that I would try it again... So, now I remember why I didn't like it. It turns completely leather on my skin. However, smelling it now, it reminds me exactly of how my SO used to smell when we first started dating. He had this leather jacket that he would always wear. Now, smelling this scent on my skin, I just feel so comforted and peaceful.

 

Okay, so of course I had to attack the SO with this one and... Instant love!! On him it smells deliciously of leather and vanilla. I think that he needs to bathe in this. Oh, wow. Next order I make, he is getting a bottle. :love!:

[Lupin1]

If I had a boyfriend, I would force him to wear this scent every day. The way it came out on me would have been dead sexy on a guy. It'd be like one of those axe commercials-- I'd be glued to him. But, alas-- I'm not a guy and I don't have a boyfriend (right now) and so I'm going to have to pass on this one. For me the leather came out as the strongest note and it was absolutely delicious. I was almost like smelling the warm leather jacket of a guy wearing my favorite scent of Axe. I couldn't stop smelling my hand it smelled so sexy. I just don't want to smell like a guy, so I'm trading this one.

[voorishsign]

Another leather scent that fails on me. It's nothing but leather, no nuances. No vanilla, no carnation, cedar, no sage, no musk, no vanilla, nothing, just leather. I know a lot of people love the leather single note but that's not what I was expecting

 

Such a shame. I wonder if it smells better in the burner . . . god I hate my skin sometimes.

[thekittenkat]

In the frimp: Lots of vanilla, with sage and carnation as middle notes, and the musk as a base.

 

Wet: Creamy carnation, with sage and cedar lurking underneath. The lavender is adding to the sweet cream note.

 

The dry-down: It seems to be turning into a soft leather note, but with some of the creamy sweetness from before, underneath, very lovely and soft. I want to try this on the bf, as I think it will smell even better on him than me. His skin chemistry is more basic or neutral, whereas mine is more acidic. I like the first two stages of this better than I do the last, even though the dry-down is nice.

 

It's certainly a comforting and calming scent, and it would be lovely in my scent locket, and as a sleep-time scent. I can see why people love this.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: cologne

 

Wet on Skin: Masculine cologne, a bit sharp in the nose. I reapplied with a bit more oil, and I think the cologne impression is coming from the sage, or a combination of the sage and lavender. With heavier application, I can actually pick out the lavender and sage as individual notes. (I prefer it with the heavier application).

 

While Drying: I am starting to pick up some vanilla and a touch of carnation.

 

After a Little While: The sharpness of the sage/lavender seems a bit at odds with the creaminess of the carnation/vanilla. The cedar and leather are well hidden. This seems to have pretty low throw, or my skin is just eating it. There is a vague touch of soapiness, but not enough to ruin the blend for me. I will definitely have to test this one out on The Boy.

 

Later: Ahh… Now I am picking up the sweet-spiciness of the carnation mingling with the dry-spiciness of the cedar, with an undercurrant of vanilla. This dries down to a nice scent, but I have to huff my wrists to get it.

 

Final Thoughts: This strikes me as one of those cosy-by-the-fire scents. It is warm and comforting, but I think it would be better on The Boy, with me sniffing it while snuggled into his arms. (I eventually did try it on The Boy... it is up there with Dorian and Blue Moon for delicious-on-The-Boy smells).

The Bow & Crown of Conquest earns a 3.5/5 for the beginning stages and a 4/5 for the final dry down.

[SophieCedar]

In imp: sage and carnation. hmm..

 

Wet: lavender and vanilla start to develop. Wonder if this progresses differently on guys? I like it. It does have a cologne backing to it and gives the impression of rigidity with grand sweeping gestures and large expectations. Weird! Kinda like wulric without the cuddly part.

 

Drydown: the cologne aspect settled down, thankfully. Not much white musk and the carnation doesn't blow up in your face. Well balanced and snooty! hahaha

[Seismogenic]

This is one of those scents with a long list of notes that I like. It had been sitting on my wishlist for quite some time until Ralenth kindly gave me an imp. Thanks so much!

 

In the imp: Cedar and carnation, backed up by vanilla. There's a little bit of an edge to it as well, which is probably the lavender and sage; it's not that easy to tell which one is more predominant here.

 

Wet on skin: Still plenty of cedar. The carnation is still there, though less prominent, and the sage is much more distinct now. The vanilla's still back there, but it seems like more of a texture than a clear note right now.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, cedar still comes first, with sage still in second. The background notes have become much more homogeneous, as something smoothly dark. At one hour in, the balance remains largely the same, though I think I get a little more lavender contributing to the sharpness that's already there from the sage.

 

Five hours later: Less carnation now, and perhaps a little smoother on the whole, but still very present. The musk and leather are starting to be more noticeable, though not overwhelming.

 

End of the day: Leather, musk, and vanilla with just a little bit of a dusty edge, soft but definitely still there.

 

Overall: Oooh, this one is nice. Everything in this blends very well together, so it's a pretty homogeneous thing, while still retaining the bits of character that I particularly like out of the individual notes. Definitely keeping this one.

[Lethran]

In bottle: pleasantly masculine. The safe/cedar/lavander/vanilla combination is lovely together. The other elements are understated. Wet: My skin eats it rather, which is a shame. Leather and musk come out more and do sexy things with the lavender. The leather grows more dominant with wear. Dry: vast fading to a pleasant gentlemanly cologne.

[Dymphna]

IN THE IMP: This smells sooooo good in the imp. I love leather and that's the dominant note at first sniff. At second sniff, I can smell a bit of cedar, but that's it. I honestly can't detect anything else--not even lavender, which usually jumps right out at me.

 

WET: Mmm, leather, cedar, and sage. It seems like a perfect balance of the three, or maybe the leather is a bit more in the foreground than the other two. After a few seconds, I can smell a bit of something fresh and almost cologne-like. Almost minty. I can smell the white musk, too, but I don't think that's what's responsible for the cologne-like scent. I want to say it's the sage, but sage and white (or very light) musk are in Aeval and that doesn't smell at all cologne-y to me. Hrm.

 

DRY: Okay, well, whatever it is that's doing the cologne thing has turned this into a men's cologne with leather as the main note. It smells good, but distinctly masculine, and thus not something I want to wear. I'm definitely going to try it on my husband, though.

[CiaoBonefish]

This JUST shot up on mt top ten list. It's just beautiful! In the imp i'm getting pretty much vanilla and leather. It's not really sharp so I'm intrigued. I love smooth warm leather scents.

 

On my skin the leather just blooms along with the vanilla. I'm starting to detect some cedar in there but I can't truly smell lavender or sage or carnation. I think they are contributing in some way though. Rounding off the scent in a way and keeping it from being too warm or too sweet or too bitter etc. After a while the drydown smells like glorious leather rounded out by vanilla with a hint of carnation and cedar. Ahh so glorious!

 

My favorite blend used to be Hellfire, and I dare say I may like this better! Who knew the antichrist smelled so gooood!

[moon_lemming]

YES! I picked out the white musk in the imp, and the cedar in the wet oil. This was tricky because The Bow & Crown of Conquest just smells like a good cologne to me at first. It's hard for me to pick notes out when that happens; this is A STEP FORWARD, woo.

 

So yes, "cologne" in the imp, and once it hits my skin the cedar starts screaming. It quiets down as it dries, and I can smell the leather.

 

That's about as far as I get. It ends up smelling like a masculine cologne with brown leather in a starring role, like something a fancy-smelling cowboy would wear. I can't pick out any other notes because the overall scent impression is too strong. We'll blame it on this scent being "well-blended," okay?

 

It smells lovely, and I'd love to sniff it on a dude, but it's too boyish for me.

 

[heleng]

Wet-cologne.

Dry-Leathery cologne with a wonderful vanilla underneath.

Verdict-Very masculine, just too much leather for me, need to move this one on.

[MCS4096]

at first application its mostly cedar, sage, vanilla, leather (in that order) I dont get any lavender or carnation (double darn on that one )

 

A lot of people have mentioned it's masculine-- it's pretty neutral to my nose. Sure, it's heavy on the leather, but the vanilla makes it creamy. Yummm

[misscoldheart]

I like this one for sure, but only in small doses.

When I finally got around to testing it iI just put a tiny drop on and it smelled amazing. Vanilla, musk, and lavender. I definitely got the leather note, but it went away pretty quickly.

This morning when i put considerably more on, it started out the same as when I tested it but then I also got a really strong, sort of cologny scent that wouldn't go away and just got stronger. Now it is pretty much vanilla and musk, but there's still a cologny scent there that is giving me a headache.

 

I do like this one, but I think in the future I am only going to use a little bit- Like a drop.

[lavender84]

So I thought I won't like you, all tyrannizing wet and leathery you.

 

 

 

Oh but how you turned... and with such "oohmp!"

 

Sultry, musky and sweet - how well leather plays with vanilla and lavender thus how well you suit my nose.

 

Ummmmmm........ *sniffs*

 

You might just come to me in a bottle in future.

Edited April 27, 2010 by ScentedDreams

[raisin]

Oh, carnation! I think this is one of my new favorite notes. It sticks out to me the most (but on the spicy, not floral, side of things), and there is an added creamy sweetness from the vanilla. That softens the lavender, which is not quite as LAVENDER in this blend as it is in most others, but it's still there, thankfully. The leather seems like the connecting note between the carnation/vanilla (seriously, those two blend together so well... I haven't been a fan of the lab's vanilla in other blends, but wow, does it work here) and the lavender.

I get the odd whiff of sage, disconnected from the above. I'd thought at first my Hunter from yesterday was ghosting (it's definitely the same sage note), but it's too strong for that. It's just this nice odd lash of something cold and green and herbal that breaks up all the warm creamy sweetness.

I'm surprised to read that there's cedar in this blend. I could smell a little wood in the background, but cedar usually dominates on me, and here that is very much not the case. It's behaving very nicely and just hanging out in the back.

I suppose there is a definite muskiness to this one, but nothing I would have been able to identify. It's certainly feeling a bit masculine/unisex, and I think that musk + leather is the culprit, but I'm not able to pick it out from the rest of the notes... the musk is just blended in there and mingling nicely.

 

This one is totally gorgeous. I think this will be a nice spring/summer alternative to Casanova (my true love). It's certainly won me over to carnation (gotta check this one out in other blends), and I now realize I'm not as anti-vanilla as I'd originally thought. Definitely a winner, and it's growing on me the longer I wear it.

[Xanon]

It took me a while to actually try this one out. I am not a fan of lavender... too much like those underwear drawer sachets and hippie soap. Carnation and I have an iffy relationship too. It's either creamy or powdery on my skin. Due to those two notes I held back on trying this. But a friend of mine is in love with this blend because of its leather. Being the leather fanatic that I am, I finally decided to grab an imp with my last order.

Man, I should have done that AGES ago! I am absolutely in LOVE with this blend!

Wet, I smell the sharp sage and cedar, it makes the leather note a bit sharp too.

Drying I start to amp the vanilla and carnation, making this a creamy leather. Oh nommy!

Dry it is all leather and creamy vanilla with the barest hint of lavender. It is stunning! Not at all masculine, more unisex.

 

I have made a lotion with my imp and ordered a bottle of this goodness. 5/5 for lasting power too!