Cloister Graveyard in the Snow

[citharadraconis]

Three white musks, ozone, frankincense, mint.

This smells like a cross between Nuclear Winter and Snow-Flakes on me--a little softer than the former, a little sharper than the latter. Beautiful and evocative. I can see this being a great summer scent.

[siddal]

This is gorgeous! One of my favorite Salons yet. It reminds me a lot of Snow-flakes, except it has less of Snow-flakes "snow whitish florals" and more of a nose tingly mint to it, if that makes sense. As it dries down, I can really feel the cold tingle in my nose when I sniff it. The frankincense is starting to show through a bit, too.

As the others have said, Beth has beautifully captured the essense of this painting (one of my faves). I really must have this

[nikkoblue]

Super pretty in the imp.....

 

Wet: minty, ozoney, and musky. Cool and beautiful!

 

Drying: same as above but the mint is becoming more subdued. I can barely sense the frankincense.

 

Dry: This scent holds those same notes until the drydown, when it becomes pure ozone and musk. Actually, when dry, it smells exactly like Szepasszony on me.

 

Half hour later: OK. I put Szepasszony on one arm and this on the other. The initial scents are completely different, but the drydown, with my skin, is exactly the same with just a light touch of mint in the cloister. This is the second salon that smells exactly like a GC on me (Satan & Death vs. Hades...but I digress). Alas, Cloister, I love you but Szepasszony is cheaper and I already have a full bottle.

 

Still, a gorgeous cold scent. Beautiful!

[juniperus]

Bottle: fresh, cold, mint

Wet: the same, even colder..this smells like the image of breath making condensation clouds- not that this makes sense, but it's evocative of that image

Dry: ozone headache. yep. not that I'm surprised, mind you. no frankincense yep - all very chill musk and mint.

Later: sadly ouchie, no frankincense (which was what I was really looking forward to)...but I did want to try. I am ever hopeful. Love this painting...

[emzebel]

This is a beautiful light musk blend, with just the right amount of resin to add texture and minty herbalism to make it crisp - it is a wonderful rendering of the painting and absolutely gorgrous.

 

For such a beautiful blend, it is rather non-descript on my skin, however. This is a cold chilly blend that is perfect for people who either adore cold chilly blends and want them all, or who cannot wear the "trademark BPAL snow" that characterizes so many of the Yules each year. And while I like a little cold and chill, I'm much more of a firey colorful jewel tone sort of gal. So this is nice, but probably doesn't jump into my must have list...

[Mianjo]

A very interesting scent. The mint is subdued--much less bright that I expected it to be. I do get a hint of that musk in Snow White that didn't work on me (Snow White smelled like a cross of musk and coconut on with my skin chemistry).

 

I do get the ozone...and unfortunately on my skin it overwhelms everything else once the scent has dried down. Not something I would wear, but it definitely captures the somberness and stark beauty of the art by which it was inspired.

[Electra]

The BPAL blend that Cloister Graveyard in the Snow smells closest to, IMO, is Ice Queen. Luckily for me, Cloister Graveyard does not have whatever element Ice Queen had that made me physically ill (it actually made me queasy, and I had to run to wash it off ).

 

Other reviews have compared this to Wolf Moon (2004), Nuclear Winter, and Cold Moon. I have two of those blends (and swapped Cold Moon), so I went to get them to do side-by-side sniff-tests. (I apparently like icy scents! Cloister Graveyard, unlike pretty much any BPAL blend with "snow" in the name, does not have pine or evergreen in it. Duh, look at the notes. But I'm very pleased by that. I do like some of the piney blends, but I don't always want pine -- and when I think of the scent of cold air and a snow-blanketed world, honestly, pine is not the first scent that comes to mind. This captures my mental image of it much better.)

 

I was really surprised when I read the comparison to Nuclear Winter, but upon sniffing the bottles side-by-side, I can see it. Nuclear Winter is a bit sweeter, but they do smell fairly similar in the bottle -- a chilly, watery mint. Cloister Graveyard has more of an ozonic bite to it, and maybe a touch more musk. But I can see the comparison. The drydown (at least on me) is wildly different, though -- Cloister Graveyard doesn't morph much on me, but Nuclear Winter goes oddly gingerbread-y. It's a cool-greenness-and-warm-spices combination that reminds me a bit of Florida Water. So they don't smell alike at all on drydown on my skin, but I do see the comparison in the bottle/wet stage.

 

As for Wolf Moon '04, I get a fair bit of fruitiness out of that, so they don't really compare to my nose. I never did get much of an icy feel from it, though it certainly is a watery/aquatic fruitiness. I always think it's so fascinating how people smell things differently . (Same deal with Cold Moon. I totally got berry Skittles from it. No fruitiness in Cloister Graveyard!)

 

I comparison-sniffed Kumari Kandam, too, which I remembered as being similar -- same feel in the wet stages, but Kumari Kandam is much, much harsher. Cloister Graveyard is so smooth and quiet. Also, the drydown of Kumari Kandam is occasionally uncooperative on me (one day it's very nice, the next it turns into laundry detergent), whereas the drydown of Cloister Graveyard is swoon-inducingly gorgeous.

 

This is an absolutely gorgeous, haunting blend. It's so cold, so crystalline.

 

The mint lasts the entire time on me -- amazing, given that mint is usually so fleeting -- and I get lots and lots of white musk backing it up. The ozone fades out. The frankincense is a very quiet presence -- there's a slight incensey note under the mint hours later on drydown, *just* enough to make it interesting (and just enough that when you sniff, you think "what is that?" It doesn't scream "incense.").

 

So beautiful. A bit unsettling, which is perfect for the painting. I love. This has cracked my top five, possibly even top two.

 

Quick edit, 4/3/07 -- Cloister Graveyard is now tied with Whippoorwill for "Electra's favorite BPAL of all time." It's one of the most phenomenal, perfect things I've ever had the privilege to smell. It's also fast becoming my signature scent (and I have so many different perfumes that I *never* thought I would say that). It's just so, so *me*.

 

This is everything I love in a scent, all magically condensed into a tiny bottle.

Edited April 3, 2007 by Electra

[grrrlennyl]

at first: tons of ozone.

on: mint and ozone. very bright and cold.

1.5 hours later: mostly ozone and frankincense.

7 hours later: a faint, light musk scent.

overall: this is pretty, but i'm not usually crazy about ozone scents.

[sofaking6]

Ooh I love this blend. To me it smells quite a bit like Snow-Flakes; however instead of the candy-sweetness of that blend, it has a touch of the chilly-berry sweetness of The Snow Maiden, at least at first.

 

I love that soft, smooth mint. It's just lovely. And I love the white musk, the way it sweetens your skin. I do not get too much ozone, just enough to wake me up a little.

 

Cloister Graveyard is a wonderfully true represenation of the painting. I'm so glad I sprung for a bottle of this.

[jiggahava]

This is a perfect winter blend. The musks and mint come out the strongest, and it's amazing how just these two notes can evoke snow and cold chilly air. I'm not getting frankincese or ozone. This reminds me of when I was travelling around England in winter. It is a perfect winter scent, but it could also be useful in the summer when you need to cool down. I really like it. Small amount of throw.

[Shollin]

First sniff: This is completely brilliant, and matches the art absolutely. Cold air, bare trees, stark beauty.

 

Wearing: Unsurprisingly, it feels a little strange to be wearing this scent when it’s in the 70s outside. But it’s chilly and beautiful and quite deep despite its airiness.

[filigree_shadow]

It smells cold and slushy, like pretty much all of the BPAL cold blends smell on me. (My skin amps that coldness like you wouldn't believe.) However... this one has a smoothness underneath it. It doesn't smell stark and bitterly cold, it smells the way a blanket of snow looks. Soft like that. Chilly but inviting.

 

I don't usually go for the cold blends, but I like this one. Strangely, I think it's the mint in this that's most captivating, and I normally can't stand mint! Weird. Once again, something that shouldn't work on me does work. I love finding these surprise blends that break the rules.

[gwynethr]

I can't figure this one out at all. It's definitely cold... sharper and more herby than other wintery scents. I have never smelled either Nuclear Winter or Ice Queen, but I've usually avoided the cold scents with mint in them. And I'm not sure I like this much more, but... I can't stop sniffing my arm! I'm going to have to wear this more often, especially on its own so I'm not fighting another scent that I'm testing on my other arm, to see if I can figure out what I really think of this!

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Clear, fresh and minty

 

On Skin: Snowy. Peaceful. Pretty.

 

On Drydown: I get a touch of pine and whiff of sweet mint. Slightly musky.

 

Verdict: This is very pretty and I like it. Mmm. So good.

[funkmoppet]

Oh I love the snow blends!

 

This is magnificent. Love the painting that inspired it, and the blend is a perfect interpretation.

 

Wet: Mint! That awesome snowy note, but unlike Nuclear Winter, this is cold, frosty snow, not melting slush. The green, herbal notes in this stay cold and frozen. The frankincense is just a breath, adding just a touch of depth.

 

Dry, the musks ever so faintly make themselves known. They add a creamy edge as pale musks often do, but they still somehow don't stop the blend from being cold and airy. I can imagine my breath steaming in front of me. How Beth's managed that, I don't know, but I'm awestruck!

 

Bravo. This is divine. Might just get a bottle in the future.

[hipslike___cinderella]

I must say, Cloister Graveyard in the Snow was love at first whiff. Everytime I smell it, I feel like singing.

 

To open the imp, is to feel a wintery gust of cold air and ozone, with mint and sweetness on the breeze. It's creamy, and somehow a little malicious feeling. It almost makes my mouth water. On my skin, it's an even better story. I CAN'T PEEL MY NOSE OFF MY ARM. Smooth, luscious white musks and mint, and just the right touch of frankincense. In fact- this is frankincense like I've never imagined it. It's sparkling, kind of tinkling, not heavy or "churchy". And there's that "cold stone" note that is rare but always an immense treat in oil blends. I can SEE the gravemarkers peering over mounds of just-fallen snow.

 

Sniff. SNIFF. HUFFFFFFFFF.

 

Oh. This is a pitch-perfect hybrid of my beloveds, Snow-Flakes and Kumari Kandam (okay; if you subtract any floral notes from Snow Flakes, and turn that slightly-aquatic ozone from Kumari into a pure-snow-gust ozone). Perfect throw, stays true. Only the frankincense wears a little longer than any other note.

 

I hardly want to review the rest of the Salon I, and just want to wear this every day. I always knew I would love this. What took me so long?

[jolarocknrolla]

it's something like Nuclear Winter and Door13. The ozone is strong with this one (as always, ozone smells citrusy i think, a good citrus-like scent for people that don't like lemons), very slightly minty, just enough to tickle your sinuses a bit. it does smell a little bit cologn-y like most ozone scents tend to, but it's really clean and fresh and (if i may be a bit evocative) a little sad.

[JenM]

IN the imp: Smells like snow (must be the ozone) with an aftereffect of a eucalyptus-like mint which singes my nostrils.

 

On the wrist: the frankincense and the ozone combine to come to the fore, smelling like neither but instead creating a sort of consecrated snow scent. I also get a pine scent which reminds me of Death of the Gravedigger. ON the right wrist, the musks are coming out, but gently. The left wrist is just a pinier, stronger version of death of the Gravedigger, really. With a bit of warmth added from the frankincense. So far this is the first musk I’ve really liked.

 

After an hour it’s gone from the right wrist except for a hint of forest. On the left, a soft musk (at least what I assume is musk—it smells like what cake would be made of if it were made with snow (work with me here)) permeates. Fiftyeen minutes later, and except for a faint waft of musk it’s gone entirely.

[steelxrose]

Cloister Graveyard in the Snow

 

Snow? I'm there.

In the bottle, it smells minty and snowy. I'm sure I can pick up the musks in there, but not much else. Reminiscent of my other snow-themed oils. It's definitely cold; I can picture the snow on the graves. An all around beautiful scent. I can see a bottle of this coming my way.

[hkhm]

imp: musk, frankincense and minty ozone. this smells very cold and reminds me of the snow storm.

 

wet: icy, minty ozone. this is a terribly cold belnd on my skin. it's shivery from the mint and the ozone scent reminds me of the chill clarity of the air after the snow has stopped falling.

 

dry: clear, cold minty ozone.

[pensarepink]

Not what I was expecting at all; much more crisp and green. At first sniff I'm regretting spending as much as I did for this scent. It gradually improves, but the "snow" never really resonates with me. I get crisp and bleak and sharpness. Not one of my favorites, regrettably.

[Myrrha]

When I first put it on the frankincense and cold snowy notes together were dominant. It is a somber scent and put me in a meditative, contemplative mood.

 

After ten minutes some sweet notes came out. This must be the white musk. The frankincense and ozone “chilly” notes don’t jump out so much now, they blend with the sweet notes to give a scent that is very beautiful. It is thoughtful, somber, elegant and unusual.

 

Drydown -- This one seems a little bit lighter and juicier than some of the other snowy/winter scents, maybe it is the mint that lightens it. Something (I think it is the frankincense) keeps it from being an ice-cold scent, adds a hint of warmth. I really like this one and it is going on my possible bottle list. This is a very accurate scent-picture of the painting. I am amazed that I can (with Beth’s help) smell what a painting is about. Scents never last as long on me as I’d like them to and every time I’ve worn this I’ve wanted to put more on after a few hours.

 

Update: Now that I’ve sampled “Death of the Grave Digger” I want to add that Cloister Graveyard is a more ethereal, high pitched scent. Death of the Grave Digger is heartier and sweeter and in that one the cold notes don’t last as long.

Edited July 25, 2008 by Myrrha

[inurbanus]

Cloister is such a great painting -- I'm sorry that its scent didn't work very well on me. The first whiff I got of this was intriguing; I thought that Cloister might turn out to be a winter version of Ulalume, but sadly this was not the case. The frankincense disappeared after 15 minutes, leaving only the very ozoney smelling snow note and some mint. Unfortunately, mint is one of those notes I don't care for, so it's no surprise that Cloister isn't one of my favorites. I will say, though, that if you're into the cold, snowy blends, this would be a great one to try.

 

2.5/5

[taramarie]

On me, Cloister Graveyard is a lot of ozone and mint over some musk. I'd almost swear there's pine in here too. This is a great scent.

[greenranger]

Floral....floral something and mint.

 

Dry, I think I get just a bit of something "cold."

 

I don't think snow and sleet smells like me much.