Ozymandias

[jizatt]

Desolation. The remnants of an empire, shivering with forgotten glories, a monument to megalomania, sundered power, and colossal loss. Dry desert air, dry and hot, passing over crumbling stone megaliths and plundered golden monuments, bearing a hint of the incense of lost Gods on its winds.

This was perfumey as it dried, but not in a bad way I don't think. I waited it out. Now, its got a definite dry and sandy feel to it, heat. It's gold, but softer - brushed gold instead of harsh and reflective. It's sweet and incensey too. I amp sweet, so I can't guarantee this reaction for you, but I almost smell cinnamon... I generally don't like the strong incense smell, connotations I guess, but this one I love. This feels formal. This feels classy. My first inclination was to let my grandmother smell it because I think she would love it, but the longer its been on my skin the more I'm loving it. I can see this being huge for self-confidence, and I'm actually considering this as a bottle.

edit:
the cinnamon thing got me thinking, that and the gold - about how soft it feels. That made me think the ghost of cinnamon, the ghost of gold. And then it all came together. The ghost of Egypt. Ozymandias, the broken statue, ruling over empty sand. Edited July 16, 2008 by Shollin

[voodoocatwoman]

This is a soft, quiet and dry fragrance. Powdery incense. Lasts and lasts too.

[Iceblink]

This manages to smell like both dry stones and an aquatic on me. Interesting. It's very manly and I don't think I could pull off wearing it, but I like it--most oils like this smell like dryer sheets or soap on me and this doesn't. Not *me*, but not bad.

[Caerphilly]

In the imp: A very clear scent. A bit floral. Smells like fresh air.

 

Wet: The incense is coming out. It's still very clear.

 

Dry: Now I smell more incense and it's strong. Not so strong that I can't take it. I don't really like the smell if incense, but it's not bothering me in this.

 

Overall: Love it in the imp. I just like it on me. It's just not something I would wear, but it is pretty. Doesn't last long though.

[goblinshark]

In the imp: WHOA. Very strong and sharp and masculine.

 

Wet on skin: Hmmmm, not so sure about this...it is really, really sharp and herbal

 

Dry: OK, I LOVE this now. I have actually been searching for a more 'masculine' scent that is wearable on me and this is a contender for sure. Incense + dust + freshness = Ozymandias. I think I may grab a couple more imps of this guy.

[Champagne]

The only desolation is mine cause I can`t catch any on the notes. it`s too perfumey, like a terroristic department store or a soap assassin.

[rayvn1]

Warm, light and golden. Very quietly pretty. Slightly powdery and subtle. Vaguely masculine smelling so I'll hold onto this one

[Lyrical]

In imp: sweet, rich and golden.

 

Wet on skin: hot, dry, dusty air and golden light! Quite "old fashioned perfumy".

 

Dry on skin: mmmmmmmmmmm this is good stuff! There's a slightly floral edge emerging from underneath a golden, ambery, sandalwoody scent that smells like the sort of thing I might have found on my grandmother's dressing table - only nicer, because it's BPAL! This is what I hoped Jacob's Ladder would smell like!

[donnatron]

Imp: Clean, almost citrusy resin.

 

Wet: It smells like a perfume my grandmother used to have on her dresser. It doesn't smell old, necessarily, but more classic.

 

Dry: It retains that perfume scent. It's very elegant. I get a hint of ozone or similar, along with a touch of dry incense. Overall, though, it really, really, REALLY smells like a classic perfume, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Probably one of the most "traditional" BPALs I've ever smelled.

 

Throw: Polite.

 

Overall: I don't know. I like it but I don't like it mainly due to the description. The description of Ozymandias was just so incredible that I can't reconcile this genteel classic perfume scent with the scent description. I can see wearing it every once in awhile when I feel like evoking some nostalgia, but I don't see a bottle in the future.

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

 

Imp: oh what is this? It smells warm and dry and sunny

Wet on Me: still warm and dry and sunny…sharp

but not razor sharp.

Drying Down: has the smell of ancient about it. Almost a

sour resiny undertone that peeks in.

Dry: This is a warm dry ancient blend. I wear it and feel like a

sunny corner of a Library attic.

 

[poolsoflaughter]

In the vial: Dry, sweet woods...I can see how people compare this to Chanel No. 5

 

Wet on skin: Yes, very soft, vaguely sweet and dry like faded perfume

 

Dry down: This gets even better, going to a dry, soft woodsy floral. Gorgeous scent! (my favorite so far)

[chimera87]

Sharp and strong. There's something metallic along with something floral... and soapy. It's a bit too perfumey and sharp for me.

 

After it's been on my skin for awhile, I'm beginning to appreciate this more. It's no longer as perfumey or soapy, but It's still not something I would wear,not

even at home just to sniff. It's also turning more into a generic perfume smell....

[magikalbrownies]

reminds me of the spanish bath powder my grandmother used to use..smells a lot like alcohol and old school perfume thats aged a long time that no longer has a scent but smells like something was there?

 

make sense? maybe that's what was intended.

[Seismogenic]

One would think that living in the desert would not make me require more desert scents, and yet I'm finding I want to test all the ones listed as deserty. This one totally fit the bill. My specific timing on trying it also came from recently reading Watchmen, though the character in question was creepy and I don't think I'd actually want to smell like him.

 

In the imp: Very dry, with only a little hint of sweetness. Maybe a little cologney.

 

Wet on skin: Pretty much the same - dry and dusty, slightly sweet. I think the sweetness must come from the incense note that's listed.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, there's more dust than stone, but I'm starting to get a more distinct impression of rocks than I did while the oil was wet. The sweetness has diminished a bit, too. At one hour in, it's sand and dust over a hint of something more solidly rocky. The incense isn't so much a distinct note as a vague addition of sweetness.

 

Five hours later: Much like the one hour mark and not even terribly much fainter than it was at that point - dry and soft dusty sand with a hint of sweetness.

 

End of the day: Sweet dusty dryness is still surprisingly prominently present.

 

Overall: Awesome! This really does remind me of very fine sand and dust blowing over more solid rocks, under the heat of the sun. Something about the particular warmth in this doesn't quite capture the desolation in the poem to me, but I still like the smell. There's actually something vaguely reminiscent of Coyote in here as well, though I can't put a finger on what it is, but that's still a good thing in my book. A definite keeper.

[lothien]

Wow, this is really beautiful! The initial cologney-ness of it definitely has the feeling of formal-party perfume, but it doesn't last very long on me, and is quite distant on dry-down. As someone else said, this shares qualities with Jacob's Ladder without being as heavy. Resinous, soft, with a bare greenish edge.

I love the golden, airy feeling it has once it dries, and the the warmth it has. I will have to retest it, but this may be a keeper, and may be bottle-worthy. We'll see how quick I go through this imp. ^^

[Lamia]

This is a nice floral.

 

Husband says that it "smells like old ladies", but he says that about a lot of scents.

 

I find it most amusing that after the lengthy poetical inspiration, and the ingredient list, I say what I do so ... so very simply LMFAO

[angelicruin]

This is very difficult to describe.

 

Sniffing the imp, I am picking up dust and incense notes.

 

Once applied to the skin, it's mostly incense and what I assume is stone...not sure what stone smells like. The dust note is gone for now.

 

Dries down to incense and a sweet faint floral. Quite an intriguing blend, but not really my style.

[ouch!]

This si very pretty. It's soft...light....delicate...golden and yes...does bare the resemblance to a posh perfume but..nicer. I'm getting a slight hint of vanilla, I can swear there's White Musk in here and Amber. And a sort of golden dryness.

 

There is an incense element and a minute ago I was huffing and it was so strange I got whisked back to my holiday in Bali in 1996..where the incense flows through the air in the street outside every shop as an offerning to the gods...mixed in with he searing heat. I'm not even sure the smell is THAT similar but sometimes smells can do that.

 

(That was a rare moment)

 

*rememebers some cool stuff*

 

Ok so..yes...there is a definate sophisitication. As it dries, the amber comes forward a bit more and gives the blend that powderyness. And I also think there's alot more musk showing itself in the dry stages.

I can also detect a slight animalistic note too.

 

This is a brilliant and interesting blend for me. It's a clost-to-the-skin scent. The throw and lsting power is nearing zero on me though. I'm gonna have to slather.

[crebbsgirl]

This went very perfumey on me. Not something I would be reaching for often. It's very dry, and something is reminiscent of The Lion on my skin. Powdery, heady, almost dusty.

[March]

Ooh, I like this one! Smells like incense fading on the wind, like you're trying to pinpoint the location of an old, buried Greek Orthodox church by following your nose!

 

Very subdued, this scent, but very nice! I hope it holds its strength for a couple of hours.

[lishal]

Light, highly sophisticated and as everyone has already said golden. I can't pick out any really specific notes in this but it's sharp woods, resins, a bit of florals, and just the right touch of musk to round it off.

 

It's dry woodsiness on its application with a golden glow that reminds me a lot of classical perfume. I tried comparing this to a bottle of Chanel No. 5 and can see where the similarities are. To my nose, Ozymandias has a much softer presence and is less floral. It's like classic perfume made less abrasive.

 

On application, the woods amp on my skin but settle down within minutes, leaving a really light very soft but sophisticated scent that has really good lasting power on me.

[Aldercy]

Dry, dry, dry! Which is what I expected, but this scent is so desolate and tingly arid I wouldn't be surprised if it began drawing moisture right out of my skin. Aaand now it's going to amber powder. Which is just so bizarre, as that never happens to me. Quite similar to The Little Sparrow, which was my only other real "powder" failure.

 

I get no incense or real richness, which is disappointing.

[splendidissima]

A freebie! The description sounds intriguing...let's see.

 

On me, this is dry, dusty desert air, with some lingering florals--perhaps the ghosts of the fallen empire's gardens? It is a very classic "perfumey" type of scent, which is not really me, but for someone who likes light sophisticated florals, this would be great. Lasts for a while, but hangs out close to the skin--again, a very subtle blend. This stayed pretty much the same over time; never quite got the incense that some others seem to have found.

[HappyLoveJoy]

Wow!!! What a beautiful incense!! I have never tried Ozymandias so thank goodness I got frimped with it in a swap! This is not incense smoke but fresh, unburned incense. It takes me back to high school (in the early 80's) when I would go to World Bazaar and buy Gonesh Cone incense (dang, which one was it?). This oil reminds me of it so much. I think I'm detecting a little egyptian musk in it, too. Overall this is really beautiful and emotion-provoking. I don't want to turn anyone off of this awsome oil by saying that it puts me in a funeral-type atmosphere, mentally & emotionally, but it does. It's like being in a place where people are sad and emotions hang in the air, unspoken, but at the same time they are secretly pleased to smell something so pretty and comforting. Beautifully melancholy.

[hmelt004]

I ordered this mostly for the name, being a fan of the poem and of Watchmen. This smells faintly like Bounce dryer sheets. The drydown is sort of musky dust. Not for me.