Tanin'iver

[GypsyRoseRed]

Lilith’s monstrous dragon steed: dragon’s blood resin, patchouli, pomegranate, myrrh, mimosa, cassia, blood musk and smoke.

Finally - a smoky dragon scent, and one that I can actually wear! Until now, I haven't really been able to wear more than two of the other Ars Draconis blends. I'm not good at picking out individual notes, but the fruit and the smoke blend together so perfectly here. The smoke is subtle enough that I don't get any ash which has been a problem for me in smoky blends like Brimstone and Djinn.. They were just too harsh overall. This is softer, sweeter and really good. It doesn't have a lot of throw on me, but you can't win 'em all. Edited September 7, 2009 by Shollin

[sarada]

I was drooling at the notes for this: patchouli, pomegranate, myrrh, blood musk and smoke are all to die for in my book, and I'm OK with dragon's blood in many blends.

 

Cassia, though....whenever dragon's blood and a spice come together in a blend there's just no escaping it. It's Michael's craft store, from October to December. It's that simmering potpourri cinnamon scent that I'm just not all that wild about. If it wasn't for the cassia I might be able to smell something else in this blend, but it's just allll that dark cinnamony scent that I don't care for.

 

After I wear it for awhile, the cinnamon scent fades and I get a bit more of the dusty, woody, incensy notes. There's a trace of the deep, heady dark red musk but I think to most people around me it would still smell like cinnamon. Damn. I just don't like cinnamon.

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: spicy, musky and fruity. Yummy!

 

Wet: fruity, spicy and uh, oh...plastic.

 

Dry: I smell like autumn potpourri. Alas, this imp is off to swaps.

[LiberAmoris]

Tanin'iver has the cassia I recognize from other blends, and it's just too cinnamon-y for me. I love all the other notes, but the cassia is just amped up by my skin until I can't smell anything else. It does smell hot and fiery like the breath of a dragon, though!

 

Deep into the drydown, this goes musky-DB-sexpot on my skin, but it's a long time to wait for the cassia to die down like a fire. I think I'll be passing this one on for someone else to try!

[filigree_shadow]

I went with my gut instinct and bought my first unsniffed GC 5ml of Tanin'iver. I'm thrilled to find out that my gut instinct turned out to be trustworthy!

 

The cassia is quite strong at first, but as it fades out I can start to smell something sort of murkily sweet. It settles into a sexy blend of smokiness and spice. It smells red, and hot. Fiery. It smells a lot spicier on than it smells in the bottle.

 

I'd love it more if the cassia weren't quite as strong, but underneath the cassia it's a fabulous smoky dark scent, with that sweet dragon's blood that I love.

 

Also I love the label on this bottle!

Edited September 9, 2006 by filigree_shadow

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Oh my gawd, this is sweet dragon's blood. I'm also picking up on the cassia and the pomengranate. I don't get any sense of smoke from this blend.

 

Wet: This smells a lot like it did in the imp, except that the cassia is much stronger. I'm avoiding the potpurri smell that others have described, but just barely. The mimosa and pomengranate give this a unique kick.

 

Drydown and wear: During the drydown phase this gets very strong and smoky, but only for a brief time on my skin. After that moment, the cassia is not as a strong and the other notes start to blend together. However, at this time the blend starts to fade on my skin. In the last stages of the oil, the pomengranate and dragon's blood itself are the strongest notes. The dragon's blood, which is difficult to detect in the wet phase, is the last thing I smell before it really fades away. There is a bit of powder left over at the very end.

 

I'm surprised this turned out as well as it did, given the really sweet smell in the imp. I'm swimming in bottles right now, so I don't think I'll get a 5mL right now, but I will hold onto the imp.

[themerrybaker]

Tanin'iver (the name reminds me of a cross between Mrs Minniver and Puff the Magic Dragon - maybe a ghostly dragon consoling a widow?) Is so far my favorite of the dragon's blood blends. The cassia is pleasantly scratchy, smoky and scaley and is counterbalanced by an almost marzipan slippery sweetness. Definitely fun to try.

[Nadirah]

Mmm, This is a sweet Dragons Blood right away, after a few minutes you can really smell the myrrh and Patchouli in this. Its still stays sweet but its smokey at the same time. There is also that faint touch of a cinnamon smell in the backround. The throw is average, not light but not heavy either. It seems to last a bit on my skin maybe 2 hours or so. I havent worn a Dragons Blend Scent in so long and I've forgotten how it makes me feel. This is a wonderful scent, I love the blood and smoke that give this its body. (the Patchouli Myrrh and Cassia help too) I have to add that I bit the bullet and order a 10ml of this and I am not regretting it one bit. Tanin'iver is in my top ten.

 

In Two words: Smokey and Sweet.

Edited October 1, 2006 by Nadirah

[indicolite]

This is a very unusual Ars Draconis scent, unlike the other ones I have tried. The myrrh, I suppose, makes it darker and...well, myrrh-like, and the cassia helps it too. I can't really describe it. I think I will like it, though. It is the Dark Dragon kind of blend.

[birdiefu]

I'm so sad that the cassia took over!! I can catch just a bit of juicy dragon's blood and a tiny amount of fruit, but that cinnamon-ish note overwhelms the blend. None of the other yummy notes comes through for me, but I will hold on to the imp and hope that the cassia might tone down with age. I can always hope...

[yeahbutnobut]

Tanin'iver

 

In the imp: mmm, cassia. This smells like Red Phoenix.

Wet on skin: smoky cassia, fruity dragon's blood, a hint of patchouli, and even some mimosa.

Dry on skin: wow, this is amazing. The scent overall is dark, dry, smoky and spicy but with fruity tones to lighten it. The dragon's blood is prominent but it's really good in here, it bonds well with a red musk note which is made fruity by pomegranate. The cassia isn't as strong as before but it's there. The smoke note wafts through the fragrance, with a hint of dry patchouli and myrrh at the base. A hint of mimosa lingers over it all but doesn't clash. And yes, it's very much like Red Phoenix.

After a while: eventually this becomes less dragon's blood heavy and more like spicy smoke with a fruity red musk background. A haze of cinnamon incense over a brooding red core. Very nice. It's still very dry as a scent, not as full as Blood Moon but there is a similarity to Blood Moon here.

But after about 3 hours, it fades away and becomes just faint dragon's blood. Where's all the complexity gone? The spicy musk? I just get a scraping of DB now.

Verdict: at first, this is wonderfully multifaceted, a mix of dry smoke, spicy cassia, fruity musk with a little dragon's blood. I thought it would be a great substitute for Red Phoenix when I run out-though this is more of a 'red dragon'…a very complex scent that, with its hot, fierce, smoky feel, is certainly apt for a dragon! But after about 2-3 hours, it just fades away, leaving only a hint of smoky dragon's blood. No myrrh, no cassia, no patchouli, no musk, just DB. And a very faint one at that. this was such a shame after the wonderful start this scent had. I still prefer my Red Phoenix and Blood Moon to this, and if I want single note dragon's blood, I have Dragon's Blood. Oh well. It was nice when it lasted.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Red Phoenix, Death of Sardanapal, Wrath, Mars, Blood Moon, Telltale Heart

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[urbanruralferal]

In the bottle, this is very dark and fruity. I didn't try it right away for that reason. But on the skin, it is sweet and and a bit waxy and the cassia warms up right away and I feel like I smell like a holiday candle that is being marketed to hippie-used-to-bes.

One thing about this scent is that I do not get the smokey quality mentioned by others. It is a clean almost crisp fruity red spice on me. It definitely sends out tendrils but they aren't curling tendrils of incense smoke.

Interesting, but I do not think I will keep it.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is a fruity, cinnamon concoction...slurrrrp

 

once applied this turns into a deliciously, heady, ultra spicy cinnamon...omG....

i do need a big bottle!!!!

 

after 10 minutes the dragon's blood comes shining through....cassia and some deep fruit which has got to be the pomegranate....

 

this is pure heaven with my chemistry...every bit as good as my beloved dragon's

milk but entirely different~~ultra strong and one of the most delightful scents i have tried to date!! a touch foody...like a cinnamon roll...only a bittle lit....

 

patchouli?? i don't get a single dose but that is quite ok...

 

kudos to you beth!!!! a winner!!!!

[edenssixthday]

Tanin'iver - Wow, this is spicy!!! It’s also drop-dead gorgeous. The dragon’s blood and cassia are by far the dominant notes in this, but all of the other notes listed in the scent description (patchouli, pomegranate, myrrh, mimosa, blood musk, and smoke) are evident underneath the spicy dragon’s blood, and they blend together in perfect unison, creating a very spicy, sexy, and sultry scent. This is easily going to become one of my two favorite Ars Draconis blends, right up there with Dragon’s Musk. It’s a very complex blend, and has really heavy throw and exceptionally long staying power.

[Inanna9]

This is a dead ringer for Blood Moon on me, minus the grain note but including the ouch!iburn! factor. Very comforting to know I have a back up when my beloved Blood Moon runs out. Hot stuff

[pkwench]

Tanin'Iver

In the vial it smells a little similar to Red Phoenix. On my skin? It smells almost exactly like Red Phoenix, but it goes a little more to the peppery side than the Big Red side like Red Phoenix did. Which works for me as I love Red Phoenix. When that's gone and I miss it, I think I'll turn to Tanin'Iver.

[Blood onmy hands]

In the imp... cassia. Nothing but cassia. Which is fine, because I love that note. It reminds me of a more powdery (not baby powdery, just a silky powdery), softly woodsy sort of cinnamon.

 

On my skin, this smells like Blood Moon or Spanked or any of the other heavy cassia blends. Warm, spicy cassia, warm blood musk, and something that's kind of creamy and foodie. I can't actually smell any resins or fruit or florals, but it does get a bit more of a smoky smell to it in the drydown.

 

Out of the entire Ars Draconis category, Dragon's Milk, Ladon, and Tanin'iver are my favorites.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Dragon’s blood and cassia

 

On Skin: This screams cassia on me right away. Spicy and quite a compliment with the sweet dragon’s blood resin. But… as cassia always is on me… it becomes overwhelmingly strong. It actually burns my nose. The patchouli is tame and actually blends with the myrrh and blood musk well enough that it doesn’t give the trademark dirt note it usually does on me. The smoke is also under control, just offering a depth with a slight dark feel. The pomegranate gives a nice rich burgandy feel, sweet yet tart, but it doesn’t make this a fruity blend at all. The dragon’s blood and cassia are still in control. The smoke starts to become stronger making this blend feel a bit like an incense. This scent reminds me just slightly of Blood Moon. Interesting. The pomegranate comes out a little more as the scent develops, and it really begins to remind me of holiday candles. It’s pretty, but the cassia really kills it for me making it a scent I wouldn’t wear… but I might use it in an oil burner during the winter holidays. Strong throw and long wearlength.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

*siGh*

i so wanted to love this...

i need to just learn that BPAL Dragon's Blood and i... don't go.

 

i don't get any patchouli or pomegranate out of this, but i do get some myrrh and lots of cassia (in all its faux cinnamon glory) with a note of smoke wafting around.

 

grateful to've gotten to try this, but it is for someone else.

[Eros]

I was hesitant to get this because BPAL DB doesn't like me(likes to pretend it's gardenia & powdered baby aspirin, blah), I'm not a big mimosa fan and cassia, well, no great love affair there most of the time...

BUT, the rest of the notes OMG, I had to.

So...I cautiously approached the imp, opened it reluctantly and yep, there it is, Red Hots candy, but it's light, and lo and behold, the DB didn't slap me in the face with a big, icky gardenia. There's hope.

On skin the cinnamon strengthened very slightly and then settled down. At that stage it reminds me a bit of Bengal. Now please keep in mind that I applied barely a a couple of pin sized drops...After about 10-15 minutes it went through a wonky medicinal phase :l Then, slowly but surely...a bit of smokiness starts to emerge, then patchouli and pomegranate, then there's a hint of myrrh with a light muskiness in the background =) So I decided to dive in and apply more. So far so good. Spicy, smokey, not overwhelmingly sweet. Kinda sexy, too. It takes a while to get to that point but not so long I can't deal with it. Not sure if I'll ever get a bottle but ya never know.

 

Oh, I never got Blood Moon or Red Phoenix out of this. Just that quick touch of Bengal

[crescentwench]

in the imp it smells familiar, but i can't place what note it is. perhaps the musk and smoke with the dragon's blood from Tingtagel.

 

on me it hits the cassia note from the monsterbaits that made ill. with an undercurrent of salon chemical smell.

 

blah.

[fiddledragon]

This one morphs a lot on me as it develops. Wet, it's appropriately enough a lot like Lilith, with lots of myrrh, musk, and fruitiness from the dragon's blood standing in for Lilith's wine. It goes through an almost bread-like cinnamony stage, and dries to this marvelous chilling cassia-dragon'sblood-smoke state with a hint of myrrh. This is the first "smoke" blend I've tried that actually smells like smoke. It's far away from what I usually wear and is just too peculiar to be a favorite, but it's an amazingly crafted blend and will go into the "costume" pile.

[wolfie13]

In the imp: This smells luscious! Drinkable fruity, spicy red musk.

 

Wearing: This becomes a pretty equal blend of the three notes my skin amps the hell out of - Dragon's Blood, Cassia and Red Musk.

 

Later Drydown: The Cassia actually fades quite a bit. It's all DB and musk with a touch of smoke.

 

I like blends with touches of each of these elements - but somehow the combo isn't right on me - too heady, too this, too that.

 

(I would put this in the Red Phoenix, Blood Moon family as well - though it is not identical to either, of course.)

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Myrrh.

 

In the imp: Ooh, this is nice. Dragon's blood and sweet cassia.

 

On skin, wet: Dragon's blood and cassia! Very nice, a bit like a less sweet Chimera.

 

On skin, dry: Dragon's blood, cassia, and... myrrh. Smokey, typically odd myrrh. Soon, the patchouli appears, and lends its dirty greeness to the blend, which doesn't help matters in the least. The further away I sniff, the sweeter it is, until I eventually smell the wonderful dragon's blood/cassia combination I first encountered. A little closer, and it's all weird incense and green earth. About an hour into the drydown, even sniffing from a foot away is useless: the incense and patchouli has spread.

 

Conclusion/Notes: Too earthy and smokey for my liking, unfortunately.

Edited October 10, 2006 by Aredhel

[sofiaviolet]

I smell cassia. Not really anything but cassia. Really strong cassia. And this kind of stings, so definitely into the swap pile with it.