Clarity

[yeahbutnobut]

Clarity

 

Brings your mind into sharper focus, banishes distractions and silences restless thoughts.

 

In the imp: mint! A hint of lemongrass, though this is more minty (whereas Concentration was heavy on the lemongrass) and it smells very cool, fresh and clear.

Wet on skin: a nice even balance of lemongrass and mint, but with another cool note that I can't recognise. As well as dabbing on my hands to inhale as I study (much like Concentration), I dabbed some on a tissue as well.

Dry: a clean, clear, cool scent of mint, soft lemongrass, and something which I can't recognise but it smells clear, almost alcoholic or aquatic, and it's similar to a note I smelt in Catalyst. I'm wondering if this mystery note is wormwood, as it reminds me of BPAL Absinthe. But it may also be an ozone note. I don't know for sure. The scent is similar to, but less intense than Concentration, but sniffing it definitely seems to clear my mind and I know that this scent will work wonders on headaches as well.

After a while: unfortunately the scent becomes quite soapy after a while-there may be an ozone note in this, as well a greenish note, and some lemon verbena. But effect-wise, I feel very, very alert right now. I'm switched on and I feel at ease with my studies, without that crushing ”˜oh crap, my brain is blocked' feeling I usually get!

Verdict (scent): this starts out nicely, with mint and a bit of lemongrass, and another note that I can't quite pin down, it is cool, clear, and almost boozy or aquatic, I'm thinking there's either wormwood or ozone/ice notes in here. The drydown isn't as nice, it's quite soapy on my skin...it's much nicer on a tissue (or perhaps an oil burner.)

Verdict (intent): this really seems to work! When I sniff this (especially in the wet/just dry stages), my brain seems to wake up and I become very alert. My thoughts are clearer, and I don't get those ”˜mental blockages' when I study-in fact, I felt like I understood my difficult physics studies much better after sniffing this. So what it lacks in scent it makes up in purpose-and that's the whole point. I already have a bottle of Concentration on the way, but I'll try this a few more times (in an oil burner and tissues as opposed to skin) and maybe I will need a bottle of this as well because it seems to work a treat!

[GemmaCat]

Sweet, soft, and very bright. I've noticed that I have a hard time pin-pointing individual notes in the TAL scents as they're so well blended. I did wear this today whilst I was working on my dissertation and found that I didn't feel as tired as I usually would after over 3 hours of work, so I'd say it works. Even if it didn't, I'd keep it because it really is such a lovely, fresh scent.

[aidenraine]

I really need to get some work done. I have been surfing the net for two hours and if I don't start my teaching prep. soon, nobody's learning anything this week!

 

So, Clarity, I need you. I also probably need ADD medication, and I definitrly need it to not be Daylight Savings time today.

 

So, I am doing what I typically do with "Concentration". I am rubbing this between my hands and huffing it, while focusing on my goals for the day.

 

Ok, done. It is a pleasant minty aroma, much like Concentration's mint, but with a toned down lemongrass. This would make a good room fragrance for focusing (again, like Concentration.)

 

I am going to soak the tip of a tissue with this to huff as the aroma fades from my skin.

I decided to get myself some lemon flavored seltzer to hydrate myself as I try to focus.

 

When not on my skin this reminds me of Vietnamese restaurants. The smell of fresh basil mixed with mint. I love that smell.

[summer]

I used Clarity today, because I needed to sit down and really think through a project for work, and I found myself -- as per usual -- p*ssing the day away by doing a little of this and a little of that. So I applied a dab of Clarity to each palm, rubbed vigorously, inhaled, and sat down to work.

 

I worked a good, solid three hours straight. It wasn't that kind of mad "working with blinders on" focus that I get from Concentration, but in a way, it was better for the task that I was faced with. I truly did feel free from distraction. And distraction, generally, is my worst enemy. I found that I was able to sit and think through an issue -- and even beyond, to issues that I hadn't considered before -- without falling victim to my maddeningly short attention span. It didn't so much keep me focused as it simply allowed me to sit contentedly and do my work. And when I just took the time to SIT and DO IT, the insights came quite naturally. The time passed quickly, and I have a lot of good things to show for it.

 

This will be another great tool for me in my professional life. I look forward to using it in other contexts as well.

 

Scent -- kind of a jagged mint with a metallic, almost soapy, base, and a hint of lime.

[Inanna9]

I'm pretty impressed with this so far. I've just started using it, but I've got high hopes based on how well it has worked right out of the gate.

 

The scent, while not offensive, is not particularly pleasant to me either. I'm getting a very soapy lemon, like a softer version of Dawn. I can deal with it though. Often, I find myself with so much mental static in my head that I can't settle down and concentrate on something important. And no, I don't have ADD, but usually by the afternoon it feels like it. I'm gonna blame it on the kids. The little buggers make a lot of noise

 

So I anointed my third eye and rubbed some into my temples, and then my palms as well so I could inhale deeply. Lo and behold, things feel pretty still. It's a kind of mental groundedness I'm not used to, frankly. I've got to get through dinner, bath and bedtime with the kids, but then it feels like I should be able to get some work done without needing a lot of transition time to clear my head.

 

If this keeps up I'll be needing a bottle of this one for sure.

[Blood onmy hands]

Smells like mint, with hints of lemon scented dish soap. Mint and lemony citrus both happen to be notes that I find really... well, not good. I know that these blends aren't used for perfume or fragrance, but if something smells bad to me, it really distracts and depresses me. So, for my personal hangups, I think that I applied this a little too heavily the first time and it actually ended up distracting me more.

 

I'm not getting the "wow" that most people seem to be getting from the TAL blends (with the exception of Charisma and Blinding Glory of Love - they've worked very well for me).

 

I have found myself having trouble focusing lately, because I have a lot going on... coming off of my psych meds, 6 straight hours a day of intensive group therapy, taking 3 college courses, and trying to maintain a healthy relationship with the boy all at the same time is kind of killing me. So, I thought that I would use Clarity to help me in a mad panic to finish a bunch of my homework on time. I did manage to pull out 5 pages worth of homework questions for my religion class in the hour that I wore this (applied with a light hand the second time), but I was still slapping myself to stay focused.

 

Perhaps a blend like Concentration would serve me better.

[PixieSkull]

I used this blend in combo with Concentration to help me focus on a Calculus test and studying for the test. I didn't get it until the test was about 4 days away, but I felt prepared.

 

Scentwise, minty, sweet and grassy. Something like civet, I think, too. Doesn't remind me of anything I've ever smelled before.

 

Usagewise, I believe it helped me. I did use it only WITH Concentration but I do believe it helped me. I prayed quickly before I biked my way over to class and applied the scents to a pad for my scent locket then applied it to my wrists. I studied a final time with it in a quiet coffeeshop, then reapplied right before the test. During, I felt like nothing could distract me, I felt like I was on top of my game for whatever problems I understood.

 

Scent: 2.5/5; odd, unfamiliar, neutral

Usage: 5/5; I understood very clearly what I already did, I was able to ace the questions I definately knew how to do

Imagery: 3/5; Lack of imagery in general but I was able to vivdly picture the problems.

[Elrianra]

Citrusy-mint, like orange zest and fresh peppermint sprigs, with a faintly alcoholic scent that reminds me of a bottle of vodka. Odd, I realize, but the first impression is such. Once on, the citrus tone is far milder, there's an herbal note that I recognize as sage, as well as a wood that I don't recognize - lichenous and soft... I want to say willow bark. As time goes on, it fades out a bit and goes quite powdery on me, which is a bit disconcerting but still not absolutely unpleasant. In fact, it rather smells like a lotion now. Although I will say that it helps center and focus you for a short time, I'm afraid my mentality fractures quickly again and I find myself working on a dozen tasks at once before the scent really has a chance to settle me down... *SIGH*

[harmonyfb]

This was a sour citrus smell with a hint of mint lurking beneath.

 

Sadly, it made me seriously ill when I applied it to my pulse points - mostly from my stomach being all flippy when I wore it. I don't believe it is the oil for me.

[indicolite]

I can smell mint, lemongrass and citrus - probably lemon. Added: this also has the note that was present in great quantities in Tarot: the Star, and ruined that blend for me. In smaller quantities, though, I think I can stand it, and since The Star was voted by the forum to be the most popular Tarot oil, the fact that I do not like it should not dissuade anyone from purchasing Clarity for fear of the scent.

 

I rubbed it on my palms, put it in my scent locket, and went to read up on the Curry-Howard Isomorphism - you don't have to worry what it is, but trust me, understanding it is a test of Clarity if anything is!

 

And I think I am cool with the Curry-Howard Isomorphism. I think I understand it now (the skeptic in me notes that I had been rereading it in various forms for the past two weeks, so Clarity may not be completely responsible, but just be the final nudge towards understanding the thing; I cannot say yet whether it is magic or a weak placebo). I will take Clarity and/or Concentration to class tomorrow, to see how they help me with the zoned-out person I usually am in a senior honours math class at 6 in the evening.

 

Some notes:

 

1) I haven't tried Concentration yet, but given the reviews, what I expected of both these oils was undistracted focus and a fascination with the subject as new ways of understanding it opened up to me.

 

That was not what I noted. When I was sniffing Clarity, my mind was still restless, a part of it wheedling, "Stop reading this thing, let's go read the forums or check your email, at least for a little while - please? Pretty please? A small break?" I generally do have a very restless mind, not wanting to stick with any activity except a story for long. I had high hopes that the oils would quiet its wheedling down (I already know how to resist its siren song) but that has not happened with Clarity. My observations of Concentration I will put into that review.

 

2) Opening the jar did give me a motivation to turn off the music I had been listening to. (They say that you should not listen to music with lyrics you can understand in it while studying, since your mind gets distracted analysing the lyrics, while people with musical training, like me, should not listen to music PERIOD, because they get distracted analysing the music!) I sensed something akin to Clarity complaining, "Well, if you got me to do some work, shut up and let me do it!" So I turned the music off.

 

I like the scent of Clarity, and I hope to use my bottle avidly in the future, since more evil is yet to come where the Isomorphism came from.

Edited February 7, 2007 by indicolite

[joans]

Clarity is like an imp's ear of spiritual/psychological smelling salts. Lately I find myself drifting off in traffic, or spinning in circles as I try to remember which of 10 things I was trying to do or find.

 

Behind the lemon balm - a little soapy, but not unpleasantly so - I smell mint.

[lyricalwaters]

Smells mostly of lemon and mint.

 

I used this one during my exams, rubbed some on my hands and when I started getting flustered, took a moment, and took some deep breaths, inhaling the scent. I'd say it was very calming, and did indeed clear my head slightly.

 

However, as a warning, the scent is VERY strong, and it carries. I used too much the first time and some of my classmates commented on the smell - not that it was a BAD smell, just strong. I told them it was lotion.

[girl_android]

I've had an imp of this for a fair while, and I hadn't got to actually reviewing even though I've only got a little bit of the imp left. Ahh well, no time like the present? I've been ridiculously distractable, getting my mind to settle has sometimes been a bit of a problem.

 

Brings your mind into sharper focus, banishes distractions and silences restless thoughts.

 

In the imp, it smells like mint and citrus. It's kind of head-clearing in a way.

 

Wet on skin, it's still a blast of mint and citrus.

 

Dry, it's lost the sharp edge of minty citrus.

 

In my uses of Clarity from this imp, I've had it both on my skin, and in an oil burner, in conjunction with Concentration, Energy, and/or Determination, and on its own. It definitely had a different effect on me compared to Concentration - it seems to do better with keeping me focussed, I still meet with distractions, but it's like I'm telling those distractions that I'm busy right now with something else, I don't want to have to deal with you right now. Concentration makes me work on whatever's in front of me, distractions will happen and my focus will move to the distraction full steam ahead until I'm distracted again.

 

I haven't yet put a bottle of this in a TAL order - I very nearly did in my last one. I'm thinking now, it'll definitely have to make it into my next order, it was very silly of me to leave it out of this most recent one!

[storme]

In the imp: limey lemongrassy brightness softened by mint.

 

On me, wet: sharp sharp bright citrus.

 

On me, dry: sharp, almost sweet candy-citrus with a breath of soft powdery mint behind it.

 

Verdict: this is fairly refreshing - I'm not sure it's helping focus my thoughts, but it might not hurt. A keeper.

[Heeroluva]

To begin with I was slightly worried about this one since lemon tends to amp on me. In the bottle it was lemon verbena. Wet still the same though slightly sharper. As it dries it mellows out a bit, but I still only smell lemon. It's decent, but I'm not sure if I'd use it often.

[Nia]

I'm not a very good detector of individual notes, so this doesn't smell to me very different from Concentration, at least when wet. I do notice it is milder.

 

I loved the smell of concentration but not its effect; it worked like a coffee overdose. I wanted to try something similar-but-different, and lilirose sent me an imp of Clarity. Today I've used it for the first time. The Boy and I had had an exhausting couple of days, with illness, work, drama: a lot of unpleasantness and also a lot of things not necessarily unpleasant but very draining. In the evening I asked him which of my TAL collection sounded more promising to him. He was undecided between Clarity and Anthelion.....

 

I put some Clarity on an oil burner. It does smell like a softer Concentration! Quite soon, the mood in the room was lighter, and I could finally stop revolving bad thoughts in my head. No small feat, considering how many intense feelings I was trying to process. Quite good.

[mspixieears]

I have tried this a couple of times for when I feel very sluggish at work. At the moment, I'm having a lot of trouble concentrating and staying alert - partly due to some meds I take to keep me well.

 

I don't like the scent of this but I'm willing to wear these blends because I know they have a specific purpose. While they brighten me up a little, I can't say that I really find these to work as well as I'd like. They perk me up every time I sniff where applied.

 

 

[puddingirl]

This isn't a sharp scent but is still clearing and slightly mouthwatering. It smells like soft mint with a teeny tiny bit of lemon zest.

 

I will update with how it works when I have used it. I imagine that I will anoint myself and meditate.

[maiea]

I love the lemony scent of Clarity, it does really complement what the oil is supposed to do.

 

For effect, I had an issue I was upset and very confused about, as well as not being able to think straight about the matter. I put Clarity on my palms, rubbed them together, inhaled deeply and made myself think about the issue to see if I could get myself to think straight. The oil worked beautifully, I was able to think logically, make a mental list of things that I needed to sort out, and was no longer upset because I was able to sort out the issue.

[puck_nc]

Origin: Bought from Nui Cobalt Designs

 

Initial Thoughts: This year so far has been a holy mess of me not being able to focus or concentrate or get things done in a timely manner.The half-imp of Concentration seems to work short-term in helping me concentrate on a task for a couple of hours, but I still feel way behind on most of the things. I wanted to see if Clarity would both last longer for accomplishing tasks and perhaps help me sort out a ton of feels over where I am in my life at the moment.

 

In the Bottle: Lemony zing and cool mint. I can definitely see that combination helping to stimulate the mind.

 

Wet: Both the lemon and mint dial it to eleven and the combo turns a bit herby/grassy. Very eye-opening in a good way.

 

Drydown: The mint backs down quite a bit and the lemon has taken on a candy-ish sweet tinge. It's very pleasant and I won't have any trouble having it on my skin.

 

Effect: I put it on my palms the way I do Concentration and sat down to tackle one of the many things that Must Be Done. I'll edit in the results later.

 

ETA: Well, I am getting some work done, but not as much as I had hoped. Still letting myself be dragged away from work tasks with household tasks that the husband could be doing instead...

Edited May 2, 2015 by puck_nc