Arcana

[jj_j]

From the Bewitching Brews collection: The essence of magickal enigmas and long-forgotten esoteric mysteries. Frankincense, rosemary, lavender, neroli, and verbena.

Before my life was what it is now, I had a jar full of herbs and incense that a friend had given me for safekeeping, in what is a long and for this avenue, unrelated story. Arcana, though, transports me instantly to unscrewing the grey metal lid of that jar and breathing in the fading, drying scent of a beloved friend who I couldn't be with in spite of us both desperately needing each other at that time in our lives.

Lavender and rosemary, softened by the creamy neroli and pale verbena, are almost edible in their lemon-herbal splendour here. Frankincense, which I usually find bitter and dry, gives this an airy but powerful top note that is somehow the support for all these bright, resonating herbs.

No medicinal quality, as you might expect from lavender and rosemary, and an unexpected gentleness that's powerful while still seeming to echo from far, far away.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Green herbs, almost citrusy in their sharpness, and something cooler flickering over the top that might be mint. I seem to smell the taste of lavender.

 

Wearing: Definite greenery, and very cool. There’s a faint hint of lemon whispering underneath… getting stronger now that I’ve noticed it’s there. I like Arcana quite a bit – it’d make a fantastic shower-gel scent to wake you up. The lemon keeps crescendoing. I lost track of the scent for several hours while playing Magic… :sheepish grin: and by the time I sniffed my wrist again it had turned to something warm and furry and spicy and the lemon had faded altogether. The end result is very nice, and I’ll be wearing this again.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Lavender, quite pungent. And I don't like it. I feel guilty saying that, I feel obliged to like lavender but I just don't. So very overrated.

 

Second Impression: The lavender fades very quickly and leaves a lemony scent. Not lemon candy or lemon cleaner. Thicker, lemon curd perhaps.

 

Final Analysis: Pleasant, lemony, light, cool. But not me. I think my sister might have an extra along with the imps I chose for her, Lemon Verbena and Phobos. This will fit in just perfectly with them.

[JazzieCazzie]

I love this one ... it is one I got as a free imp and it is SO a keeper ... on application, it is green and fresh and herbal and interesting. On drydown, there is more of a spiciness I can't place but I love it!!!

 

REVISITED MARCH 2013:

 

Received an imp of this as lagniappe in a swap and cannot for the life of me figure out why I didn't re-order this and/or have a big bottle! SO grateful for the reminder!

 

IN THE IMP: Primarily lavender, but with that bit of softening from the other notes.

 

Applied on wrist and in crook of arm.

 

WET: The frankincense rises immediately upon meeting my skin to join the lavender, and the two make a fantastic complement to one another.

 

DRYDOWN: I definitely got lucky with this. The rose comes out just enough to make it a bit more complex but doesn't get "in your face" rosy on me like it does in many blends. And as far as I can tell I am getting NO neroli (which is good because that can be really bubble-gum on me) and if I'm getting lemon verbena, it's not something I recognize.

 

OVERALL: This is a fantastic blend on me and is going onto the "I want more!" list!

 

On a scale of 1-5, about a 4.8

Edited March 24, 2013 by JazzieCazzie

[TygherRayn]

In the bottle: Very lavender .. but not like sniffing straight lavender oil or anything. Tehre's a herbal quality to this I really like .. it's enigmatic, and ethereal, and just lovely.

 

Wet: Almost immediately the laverder dies off and I'm left with a lemon aroma that smells 'thick' ... it's like lemon pudding. I like it though. Now and again I still get a hint of lavender, but the lemon is predominant.

 

Wearing: I'm not sure if this one's going to be wearable during the day. The lavender has returned .. but it's more like a lavender sachet with lemon undertones. But it's soft, and just sweet enough, nd soothing. It'll make a great sleeping scent.

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: herbs wet with rain...

 

WEARING IT: definitely lavender and verbena. after a minute or two the rosemary peaks her head out and adds to the mix. i find it to be quite sharp when first applied but then it turns into a very unique scent, like a lemon custard or something.

 

FINAL VERDICT: enticing, but i think it's too lemony for me.

[Vaniclion]

Fresh on, Lavender is the primary note. Dried lavender on the shelf of an herbalist's shop... or perhaps it's lavender and rosemary. VERY herby. The verbena lemony-ness and the sweetness of neroli come through rather quickly.

 

It reminds me a bit of a glassed in porch, with an herb garden and an alter to some god or goddess. There is an incense type of texture to the scent. It's light in the sense of a hot summer day, laying beside a pool... the sunlight pressing down on you.

 

This is definitely a gender neutral scent. The herby quality isn't overly masculine, and it's not particularly feminine. A good incense scent, but not really my thing as a cologne scent.

[Northernminx]

I thought I was going mad with the fifth lemony scent I've tried in a row (one starts to wonder if they're just smelling wierd.) However, the lemon drop smell that always seems to smack me when verbena or lemon citrus are in the mix, died off fairly quickly.

I am left with a dry herbal smell of rosemary and a hint of mellow lavender. The lemon was predominant and now the herbs are sort of lingering there. It's a very mysterious but wistful combination, like the first strike of magic and it's lingering after effect.

 

Lovely, but probably not a keeper as the dry down just doesn't leave much scent for me.

 

Edit: I tried this one again before swapping and I'm glad I did. The lemon drop is gone, and this time it's far more lemon chiffon, quite a bit sweeter and lighter with touches of lavender and rosemary. I don't want to keep this one a perfume, but I AM going to try mixing it with my unscented lotion to use before bed. A lovely, calming scent.

Edited July 22, 2004 by Northernminx

[TheDarkMother]

I love lavendar, which probably why I love this scent so much. This reminds me of a very innocent smell, and is something that my daughter says smells like little girls playing with tea parties.

 

This is something that I have worn when I want to feel innocent and free, and reminds me of rolling in grassy hills with a picnic nearby.

[Tesseljoan]

lemon and herbs hit me first, in a surprisingly light scent. Later on the frankincense starts to come out more, in a warm, sometimes dry way. An unexpected keeper.

[omly]

My first review!

 

In the bottle: Very green and herby, if I close my eyes and concentrate then I can identify the rosemary and lavender as the most promenent notes. The rest are blended so much into an herby background that I can't really distinguish them.

 

Wet: There is a spike of rosemary that makes this almost sharp in its herby pungentness as it touches my skin.

 

After a few minutes on skin: There is a breath of lemon verbana that peeks its head through as the rosemary subsides a little bit. The frankincense brings out an incense-like quality that my roommate identifies as "hole in the wall chinatown shop smell". I am not crazy about incensy smells so this stage is not that pleasant for me, although I could see how it might appeal to others.

 

After first hour: The frankincense has really taken over at this point. It definately seems richer than it did at the beginning. I love the richness and smell underneath it, but the incense has taken over. My boyfriend at this point says I "smell like church".

 

After two and a half hours: The rosemary is making more of an appearance than at any other point after being applied so far. The combination of frankincense and rosemary makes me think of an incense shop full of dried herbs hanging from the rafters. I almost like this stage because of the imagery it evokes. I can definately see this as "arcana". Unfortunately it does almost too good a job though, because it leaves me feeling like I have to sneeze from the driness.

 

After 5 hours: The major note left is a sweet creamy scent that I think is the neroli. It is faint and I can only smell it if I smell my wrist, but I love it.

 

Final Verdict: I can't get past the frankincense. This seems to be more prominent on my skin then for other people so this may just be a body chemistry issue. I think this was lovely and interesting in the bottle, so I might try it with a scent locket next .

Edited July 17, 2004 by omly

[allamanda]

Arcana

 

When first applied my nose tingles with the lavender then I can smell neroli. The lemon verbena is giving this a slight tang with the rosemary adding a herbiness, very nice.

 

This has been dry for a while before I manage to detect the frankincense, just faintly in the background. The other notes are still there, but difficult to separate now; this is so well blended.

 

This is a very relaxing and calming blend. It reminds me of massages and being barely awake, definitely not an oil for when I need to be alert, but perfect for a gentle wind-down.

Edited September 13, 2004 by allamanda

[lorajc]

This scent smells very medicinal when first applied. I'm not one to generally like single notes, but Rosemary is one single note oil that I love. I think the blend of lavendar and rosemary make this sharp when first applied. I barely detected the neroli when first applied. As it dries down, the neroli is faint in the background grounded by the frankincense. This is a truly unique blend. It is faintly spicy but more in an deep herbal way if that makes any sense. I can still pick the rosemary out with my nose....perhaps cuz I love it so much. I don't find this scent to be particularly calming, even with the lavender in it, as the lavender is not the prominent note on my skin. It would be nice if it did calm me though, as I tend to be a hyper person.

[Miggins]

I put Arcana on last night before I went to bed.

 

I can smell lots of neroli and lavender. My initial impression was that it either smelled nice or it smelled of pee (!) but this only lasted a minute. As it dried, it became so wonderfully soothing. Jedley said it would be a lovey comforting scent to wear when you had a cold - it would clear your head, but in a very gentle way and calm you - like a cool hug in a bottle. Clinique should give up on making their version of "Happy" and let Beth make this one instead.

 

When I smell this scent, I think of golds and yellows - the colour when you close your eyes and nod your head to the sun.

 

To add: this didn't have much staying power on me. I put it on at 11pm and it was gone by 6.30am. Ah, the fleeting magick of Arcana...

Edited August 28, 2004 by Miggins

[diabolique]

this is extremely soothing.

 

when i first applied it, i immediately got the rootbeer thing that seems to happen with the green scents. underneath it, i can faintly smell the lavender and rosemary sweetening this up. the rootbeer is fading, and it's becoming more herbal. i can smell a bit of lemon. there's a little bit of a tingle beneath everything, and i suppose that's what made me think of rootbeer; it's kind of a sparkly, fizzy scent.

[Donnababe]

Arcana

 

The masses of lavender and frankincense remind me of Psyche a little. For a great deal of the time it's all I can smell despite detecting the verbana in the bottle.

The neroli does come through towards the end but then the scent takes on a strange medicinal quality that reminds me of a ghastly old fashioned cough medicine my Dad swears by....

[ChupaChup]

I found Arcana to be a really beautiful and soothing scent. It reminded me a little bit of Ouija, which went really hamster cage on me because of the sandalwood, but thankfully Arcana doesn't do that. I really like the combination of the citrus and herbal notes, especially the rosemary. I think the sandalwood still makes it a little too dry for me, otherwise it would be a keeper.

[Koumori]

I am very, very fond of this one. It's going on the big bottle list. On me, no one type of the scents involved here (floral/citrus/wood) really comes to dominate, which is great, since usually my skin selectively eats the scent of lemon. The herbal and woody notes surround the sandalwood. It isn't a strong scent on me at all; it dies down after the first hour or so, and I have to actually sniff my wrist to get more of it (which I'm doing a lot, and it must look very silly).

[Witch's Dagger]

Arcana

 

Preconceived notions: I thought this might be good as a ritual, general Circle blend.

 

In the vial: I get mostly a green and herby note, perhaps a little mint or rosemary, with some nice strong woods holding up the center. Very nice.

 

On me:

11:36: Oh, almost a pungent herbiness (which for me is a good thing) - this smells like a homemade poultice to put on a burn or something... Hmm... getting a burning sensation - does this have cinnamon in it? It’s not overly painful, but I’m noticing something.

 

11:39 Orange! Definitely orange peel - the rind, somewhat bitter, though layered with something sweeter. I wonder if the bitter orange is neroli.

 

11:43 Very sweet orange - like those sugary orange peel candies... I think this might be too sweet for me.

 

It stays the same, and eventually fades.

 

Final impressions: Sweet orange. Too sweet, too citrusy. But very well done. I think I'll be passing this one on... And it's definitely not a circle blend, at least not for me.

Edited September 29, 2004 by Witch's Dagger

[Ishtar]

I simply love Arcana! Beth performed yet another small miracle by perfectly balancing the frankincense, the lavender and the herbs. On me there is not one note that predominates, they all contribute harmoniously to form a slightly mysterious and terribly alluring scent.

 

A keeper for sure!

[Lexy]

Wet from the bottle this evokes sunscreen and beaches. As it began to dry I kept smelling oranges. I was surprised, because I can't usually wear orange, but this is gorgeous on me.

 

When I finally read the description I found that there are no oranges, but I can't help smelling them. This is a dry, complex, bright and happy scent. It reminds me of some of the beautiful old Victorians we have around here. This scent fits it's name, but in the exciting magical sense, not in any way dark or musty.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Oh how I love *real* lavender, not the icky fake one in so many bath products. So clean and calming. Arcana is perfectly balanced on me--the sharpness of the lavender leavened with sweeter neroli and verbena. You know what this reminds me of? Brother Cadfael, the series of Ellis Peter mysteries about the medieval monk who acts as a detective. He's also an herbalist, and in the BBC version of the novels he has this thatched-roof building as his apothecary, surrounded by a huge herb garden. Arcana is what I imagine that building would smell like, with a faint waft of incense from the nearby cathedral in Cafael's monastery. It's a medieval scent suspended in time, redolent of sacred mysteries and home-remedy folklore.

 

Arcana is indeed gender-neutral, and I want to use it both as a sleep blend and to wear for yoga. And possibly for general anointing purposes. And rituals. In fact, I can think of so many uses for this that I may need a bottle.

Edited October 10, 2004 by Laurel_the_Woodfairy

[grrrlennyl]

arcana

 

at first: this was tossed in with my order and is definitely something i wouldn't have chosen for myself. i smell something a bit incense-y, which turns quickly into rosemary and lavender with a bite to it. if i had to bet on this one, i'd say i wasn't going to like it.

on: wow. lots and lots of lavender and neroli. i think i smell some rosemary, too. interesting.

1 hour later: this fades to a very gentle scent. it's herbal and very calming.

2 hours later: i think i smell a bit of lemon now. this is still a very calming scent. it's nice because it isn't distracting.

3 hours later: this is much lighter, but still herbal. very nice.

overall: i may try wearing this when meditating. i won't be getting a bottle, but i'll be using up my imp.

[FireInCairo]

This scent has very calming aromatherapy benefits. The lavender really comes out in this scent. This is a good scent to unwind with. Might be nice added to a warm bath for extra comfort...

[surf-tormented]

This one smelled strongly of lemon when I first put it on and now, 15 minutes later, smells only of frankincense. It isn't very strong and doesn't have the depth of notes I like. 30 minutes later, some herbs come up, but the frankincense isn't letting them have a chance and they are fading away.

 

An hour later, Arcana has left he building. Can't find of trace of it on me. Disappointing. Might as well put straight Frankincense oil on!

 

I would most likely keep the imp of this I have, but I wouldn't buy a bottle of it. It has a nice scent if I am pushing my nose to my skin. I can't smell it otherwise. I wish the lavender and other herbs came out more on me.

Edited November 23, 2004 by Madame Nyx