Uruk

[jenleigh]

A city of mystery, wonder and majesty, said to have been built by order of Gilgamesh. Thick bitter almond and heady night-blooming jasmine with saffron, cinnamon leaf, red patchouli, river lilies, bergamot, fig leaf and the sacred incense of Inanna.

My skin is officially weird. This jumped straight to a saffrony floral and I'm getting almost no almond from it. I don't mind that at all, however - what I do get is really lovely, and this is one of those "Never would have tried it if it wasn't a frimp, but I really like it" scents. A surprise winner is always a good thing!

[fiddledragon]

Wet, this alternates rapidly between almond and cinnamon. I suppose this must be bitter almond, because it's not going death-by-marzipan on me, but it still goes very sweet; it's more like a really nice almond pastry with some cinnamon in it. When it dries the almonds fade, leaving a faint saffron-jasmine-cinnamon scent that's almost undetectable. I'm going to let this one age for a few months -- Bastet was total almond-death fresh, but is now a glorious spicy saffron. I think Uruk may have a similar feel after a while.

[Voleuse]

This is all almond on first, with a hint of bergamot complicating it. I think I smell incense as well, and maybe a little jasmine, but my chemistry tends to amp almond above all else. I'm just thankful the almond didn't turn plastic on me, as it so often does! This is an intriguing scent, but I don't think it's one meant for me.

[supremegoddessofall]

Pretty! The fig is the top note for me, giving this scent a very fruity quality. However, I get the almond, cinnamon, and lilies underneath. It's kind of a strange mix, but very sophisticated and pretty.

[juniperus]

Bottle: toasted macaroon?

Wet: almond, that's it. and the incense and saffron. a not-cherry almond, really yummy.

Dry: the leaves are more prominent, still dominated by the almond, tho, but not in a bad way.

Later: the patchouli comes up faintly in the background, and no amping jasmine amazingly enough, but still very sweet. still, it's interesting for a change...not big-bottle-worthy, but I might use the imp again, maybe when I'm feeling sorta sumerian.

[maribouquet]

This is pretty - something seems a little off on me in the drydown but I can't place it. At first I smelled something cherry-like (?) and then lily as it dried.

 

I'm so intrigued that I've found a jasmine blend that doesn't immediately turn into pickled burned rubber that even though this is not an immediate winner on me, I may have to get an imp for research purposes.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Pure almond. Ick.

 

Wet: Still almond, with spices coming in.

 

Drydown: I think this is almond and jasmine, with quite a lot of thick saffron. And the lilies are quite strong in the background. It's surprisingly light, for a floral, and there's a strange banana-like smell in there, too. As it develops, the lily comes to the forefront, mixed with spices and possibly some incense.

 

Overall: It's a comparatively light lily blend, considering that I tend to amp that note like mad. I think that it's light because. It's a rather smooth blend, and it's more complex than a lily single note, but I can't for the life of me manage to discern any of the other notes individually. It does have a bit of an oriental feel, and the lily tends to smell like honey, which is pretty good. I can't wear it (still don't like lily), but it's a good, complex blend.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: wow. this is lovely and sweet, with a nice bite of cinnamon.

on: lots and lots of sweet cinnamon.

5 hours later: gone.

overall: this just disappeared on me. at least it didn't burn.

[wolfie13]

In the bottle: Almond with an aquatic tinge.

 

Wearing: Almond initially, but that fades away quickly. There is a nice intermediate phase where i get a little spice, a little floral and a little incense - a bit like Morocco with an added touch of floral presence.

After about 20 minutes: Unfortunately the lily takes a more prominent stance, and a soapy lily at that. Still a little spice and incense in the background. But overall it's nice and light - I could see this as a lighter day-wear incense scent for those who wear the floral aspect well.

[tinyvulture]

almond, lilies, saffron, and something citrus – the bergamot? – are the notes my skin picks up. jasmine usually amps up on me, but i can’t smell it at all here. no patchouli or incense, either.

 

after it dries, the fruity citrus aspect fades, and i’m left with a creamy almond (like Organ Grinder) with light florals. i think the saffron is what gives it that mellow creaminess. i prefer Morocco as saffron scents go. this doesn’t have enough throw to suit me; it’s quite mild.

[emzebel]

Okay, I love every note in this except for the nb jasmine, which usually is a total deal breaker for me. As in, I put it on my skin and immediately have to scrub for several minutes to stave off the migraine sort of deal breaker.

 

But no so in Uruk. Uruk is a sweet dark fruity almond cake, with honeyed incense and the jasmine must be just a whiff, because it doesn't effect me in the slightest, but just seems to add to the overall savory-sweet of this blend.

 

Bottle list. Stat.

[QueenFae]

This is a very soft, smoky, incensey, resiney red scent. The jasmine note is prevalent, and it lends a smooth, sweet heady feel to the blend. The redness comes from the resinous notes; like a heady red opium note. There is a bare hint of cinnamon underneath, and it gives Uruk a tiny little bit of spicy kick. This is a lovely smoke blend, and I really like it. It's sort of that comforting type of head shop scent; where there has been so much incense burned that it seeps into every pore of the place. There is not a lot of throw, but it's certainly worth a closer sniff.

[shellyshells]

When wet, I smell mostly floral almond and spices but I get this weird note in the background that reminds me of scented Lysol which comes and goes. While drying, the cinnamon comes out to play with patchouli and bergamot. I really want to like this but that floral Lysol is very offputting.

[Naamah_Darling]

Almond, almond, almond! For those of you who've never tried an almond scent, almond perfumes smell like cherries. Like cherry ice cream, actually. Tasty!

 

Once it goes on, the patchouli and bergamot come out, right up there with the settled-down almond note. This is an amazing scent, deep and layered and very dark, yet sparkling with an effervescent brightness that must be the jasmine and the sunny lift of the bergamot. The throw is . . . oh, God. The throw is lilies and jasmine, with an underlying warm waft of incense. It's a smell that demands you take deep, greedy breaths. Up close, it's very different. Much darker.

 

I think the lilies are too much, though. It smells sour for a while, tart. Some florals do that to me. It's not a perfect match with my chemistry, sadly, but even if it's not perfect on my skin, I'll save it as a room scent, because it smells just heavenly. A perfect evocation of Uruk's majesty, a sensual and sacred blend with more than a touch of regal splendor.

[Neely]

In the bottle: sweet almond. Not cherries which sometimes you get when smelling a lot of almond scents.

 

Wet: sweet almond and saffron, with dusty stone walls. I can see golden clay walls with sun bouncing off them. I love this stage.

 

Dry down: a sophisticated sweet almond, saffron, and dusty stone. If this stays true, I am going to need a big bottle.

 

30 minutes: Lovely sophisticated perfume. All the notes blend together so well that I cannot tell them apart. The whole creates this loveliness that wafts around me.

 

Conclusion: Uruk is one of my favorite cities. I learned about it in Art History class, as well as my archeology and classics classes. I was hoping this would smell good on me, and it does! I am so happy. I need a big bottle of this. Thanks Beth and labbies!

 

Rating 1-5: on my skin this is a 5.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Jasmine.

 

In the imp: Surprisingly sweet almond, cinnamon, and fig leaf!

 

On skin, wet: Woody almond. A distinct almond; not so cherry ice cream-like as other almond scents I've come across. The jasmine starts to peek out about five minutes in.

 

On skin, dry: Woody, resinous jasmine, with a passing drift of almond every now and then. I adore jasmine lately, but jasmine notes in perfume overwhelm other notes, and Uruk is clearly no exception: this is a Jasmine Scent, without question. As it wears, the incense becomes more prominant, and by the end of its life, Uruk is a fine jasmine incense.

 

Conclusion: True to its description, but not for me.

[taramarie]

At first, all I could get from Uruk was almond and what I think was patchouli. Just as it started to get interesting, my skin turned red so I had to wash it off. Still, it might make a nice room scent.

[JenM]

In the imp: sheer almond essence.

 

On the wrist: there’s something behind the almond trying to get out, but the almond is masking it. On the right wrist, there’s a hint of cinnamon.

 

On drydown, the incense comes out a bit on the left wrist. On the right, the patchouli is making an unwelcome appearance. Not itching, but I may have to wash it off.

 

Left wrist, one hour: the lilies are making a bid to overcome the patchouli. There’s a drop of what might be fig. Right wrist: patchouli and incense. This is not a blend my right wrist likes.

 

Conclusion: If I wore it on the left side of my body only, this would be an exotic, verging on sexy scent. Alas, I am a woman of two halves.

[Benderelle]

Like many posters have noted, Uruk is a lovely almond scent in the bottle.

 

However, on my skin it turns into a grandmotherly powdery floral. I hope other folks have better luck with it!

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Extremely sweet almond… almost like marzipan.

 

Immediately on skin: Right away I’m getting marzipan (aka, extremely sweet almond) and saffron, which seems to turn to an almost cola scent on me. There’s a slight bit of the bergamot as well.

 

After a few minutes: This has really morphed quite nicely. The almond has faded to a creamy background note, while the jasmine and bergamot are coming forward quite a bit. This scent is slightly dusty, but not as earthy as I feared it would be. I would say it’s unisex, but bergamot usually strikes me that way. It’s barely spicy on me at all.

 

Later on: This blend is very pretty and complex. It’s softened a bit, but I can smell a touch of almond, the heady jasmine note, the sweet and exotic saffron, and a touch of the bergamot. The cinnamon and patchouli really never came out on me, but this is a unisex, complex blend in my opinion nonetheless. I like it and it’s definitely worth another try.

[mspixieears]

This is more floral than almondy which is a little surprising – it started off very almondy but this soon fades. The jasmine makes this a very clean, perfumey scent. I really like it as I love jasmine. The warmth of the patchouli comes through as it dries. I like this blend but it gives me a headache – very heady an hour or so later.

[Brianne]

Oooh definitely almond there. And I know some people don't care for it, but I LOVE almond. When it hits my skin though, that warm sweetness starts to subside and a more soft/airy floral takes over. NOT jasmine thankfully (which is behaving itself). The patchouli adds a depth to this and really works well - it all comes together to make me think of the local Renaissance Festival - incense and flowers and mild sweetness. It's so pretty!

[ophidiae]

I was worried about the jasmine in this, because jasmine and I have a history of Not Agreeing. I love the scent of jasmine flowers in the garden, but on my skin it tends to become overpowering.

 

This is not the case with Uruk. It goes on sweet, like honeyed almonds, then fades down to smoke and the faintest breath of jasmine. Very nice, and much more subtle than I was expecting.

 

ETA: Just thought I should mention, in the months since I first posted this, Uruk has become one of my favorite scents, possibly even my "signature" scent. It's the one I reach for the most, especially if I'm sitting down to write. The more I wear it, the more I love it, and I did eventually wind up ordering a full bottle.

Edited January 6, 2008 by ophidiae

[The_Merf]

This goes on pretty much like a straight almond, which is surprising because there are a lot of strong notes in this blend. Indeed, it doesn't take too long until I get a little resin/patchouli to go along with the almond scent. That stage is very quick and then this becomes almond with creamy flowers. I have a number of almond blends that I'm sitting on for a second round of testing, and I think I'll add Uruk to that batch. This really does nice things to night-blooming jasmine, which I usually do not like all that much (as opposed to the jasmine in New Orleans, for example). Although the blend really does reduce to those two notes, it is an interesting combination.

[alicia_stardust]

URUK

 

Uruk is a strong, sweet almond scent but the almond does not dominate the blend as it is wont to do. Instead it is present, but the other notes are allowed to mingle with it on even terms. I get a lot of jasmine, a touch of cinnamon, and hints of bergamot, lilies, and patchouli. This has a sort of rich, decadent, glowing, glittering quality to it.