Carfax Abbey

[nineveh]

The scent of abandoned places, of desolation and emptiness: heavy woods and thin dusty herbs touched by the wafting incense of a nearby chapel.

Wet, this is very fresh and green-smelling to my nose, and reminds me of the tree/herb parts of Odin. Upon the drydown, a soft, dry incense pops out. Then this starts to resemble a light version of Doc Constantine.

On me, this isn't dark or heavy; it's soft, dusty, and comforting. If this is an abandoned abbey, it's full of sunlight and new plants growing through the stones.

This turned out to be the one keeper for me from Order of the Dragon, and I'm so glad it works. It's one of those very evocative creations that's also perfectly wearable.

Oh, and for me, this didn't smell like Pit & the Pendulum at all, but that one smelled like cookies to me. Edited December 21, 2007 by Shollin

[biernaise]

Carfax Abbey:

 

YES. This is just what it should be.

 

Initially, I get herbal. Sage, dusty and rasping and a far off smoke, a thin peal wafting in the distance.

 

A desolate crumbly tower through the trees (stone and cedar).

 

Finally, there is english violet in the drydown. Like a sachet tossed in a dark corner and forgotten.

 

This is one of the the most wayward and enjoyable frags I have experienced and I hope aging will refine this one further. I am purchasing another bottle for turning into a hair mist.

[sterlingspider]

in bottle: GREEN! Very green and herbal, like crushed parsley

wet: fresh mown hay, still very clean and green smelling

drydown: a clean floral coming out and the immediate green note is dampened considerably, just a hint of something resinous

 

Later: whoops, not even and hour there and it went to ozoney flowery baby powder and it just keeps getting stronger. Even after cleaning it off with an alcohol wipe I smell like an overly perfumed old woman

 

I swear I hate my chemistry sometimes.

 

The first 15 minutes of this scent got a 4/5, but unfortunately from then on it's about a 2

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: herbal and green yet grounded by something deeper.

 

Wet: oh, my. This scent reminds me of a castle that I toured in April in Ireland years ago. Somehow the essence of ancient rough hewn stone is captured in this scent.

 

Dry: a ribbon of incense gives depth the the herbal and other notes. I've tested this scent three times and it is gorgeous every time. I'm trying to decide if I should order one or two bottles!

[birdiefu]

Very dry, herby/woody. This smells *exactly* like when I bought huge amounts of roots, barks, and various herbs and after I mailed the box back to myself- this smell was in it! Makes me think of mandrake mostly. A very earthy scent.

[supremegoddessofall]

Very much a green-brown scent. Woods, a bit dusty. Smells more like a man's scent.

[PilotKitten]

Oooh yeah, woods and crushed herbs. Very strong incense on me as well... very so not much me.

[yeahbutnobut]

Carfax Abbey

 

In the imp: something resinous, and a hint of green herbs.

Wet on skin: mmm, there’s frankincense here, and it’s getting nice and strong!

Dry: I like this. This is a herbal incense scent-mainly frankincense, possibly some myrrh as well, but with a deep green herbal aspect (these are dry herbs, I smell dried sage here) and a dusty woodsy base, and also an unexpected sweetness lurking behind it all. this reminds me of something else I’ve smelt but now it’s less like the Rat King and more like the church incense themed scents, along similar lines to Midnight Mass or the Pit and the Pendulum, but with a dusty aspect, it’s almost like a forgotten abbey. Very atmospheric. This is what I hoped Arcana would be like.

After a while: is there amber in here? I get a lovely sweetness to this scent which is highly reminiscent of amber, but it could actually be sandalwood as well, a red sandalwood note? Or musk? It’s powdery, and dusty as well, and I smell moss here as well. I wish I could remember what scent this strongly this reminds me of…there’s a dusty, almost decayed feel to the scent which does remind me very slightly of attics, and historical yet forgotten buildings-religious ones particularly-with wooden frames crumbling, everything covered with the dust of ages, and yet I get a strong visual of sunlight streaming through a broken church window, playing on dust motes floating in the air.

And then suddenly it hits me…the familiar powdery scent is orris! Of course! Sweet and pale and powdery and almost old fashioned, and in here, almost ghostly. It also reminds me very slightly of Morella, especially with the sage scent I get here. There may even be a very slight smidgen of violet, and just before the scent fades completely, I get a lovely light musk with smoky woods, and then a sweet resin which smells almost like amber.

Verdict: Beth is so good at creating such atmospheric, evocative scents that vividly captures the image of a place, the climate, the mood, and the memories. This is one of those scents. It brings to mind a vivid visual of an abandoned-maybe even haunted-church or abbey in an autumn woodland on a warm sunny day, the foundations are crumbling, the roof is almost ruined, and the frames of exotic wood are dry and fragrant yet overgrown with moss and weeds. The incense once burnt here still lingers strongly and it’s a scent that’s almost comforting…dust covers everything and the warm sun filters through the dusty air through the broken roof, in muted, golden rays. I can’t understand why but there’s something almost approachable about the incense-woods aspect of the scent, warm and sweet. It’s almost like there’s amber or musk permeates this, there’s certainly some orris here that really comes out at drydown, which makes this a perfume as well as the scent of a place. This dusty evocative scent with a traditional perfume aspect is along similar lines to the likes of Ozymandias though this is damper and mossier, with hints of dry leaves and orris/violet…it’s very wearable and makes for a very interesting yet delightful perfume. Amazing stuff.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes, I need at least one bottle!

If you like this, try: Pit and Pendulum, Midnight Mass, Clio, Arcana, Aureus, Ozymandias, Morella

Edited November 8, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[Babylon]

Short, sweet, and to the point here. Carfax Abbey doesn't vary much from wet to dry.

 

Frankincense, wood (I don't know what type, but it's definitely not cedar or pine), and what smells like moss. There is no sharp or green smell from the herbs, instead they smell like the earthy moss I've smelled in other BPAL blends.

 

It keeps making me think of, say, a magician's room in an old castle. There's no smell of stone, but it feels like there are stone walls, with a wooden table, chairs, and shelves, dusty old moss and herbs for spells or whatever, and the smell of a room that's seen quite a bit of frankincense burned in it over time.

 

My boyfriend likes the Abbey a lot on himself, but I wouldn't mind snatching it for myself once in awhile. It's a comforting scent.

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: cedar, dust and musk. Very masculine and dark.

 

On my skin: 100% wood.

 

After a couple of hours: the heavy woods fade away and give place to some pleasant herbs…

 

Verdict: no, not really. It's too masculine for me and I'm not a fan of woody smells anyway. It has something sensual though, but I'll stick with Lucy and Mina.

[edenssixthday]

Carfax Abbey - I have this wooden china cabinet that is over 100 years old and although I keep it clean and polished, it still smells wonderfully old. Tucked in a back corner of one of the shelves, behind one of my pieces of china, I keep a little bowl with potpourri in it, the scent of which, combined with the scent of the old, dry wood and crevices with decades of dust trapped deep within them, creates a scent exactly like Carfax Abbey. I swear this oil blend smells like Beth sat in front of my china cabinet, opening and closing the door over and over, breathing in the amazing scent from it until she finally felt she could replicate it. I'm not sure how I feel about this blend as a personal fragrance, but the overall scent reminds me so much of this piece of furniture which has been collecting it's old-time scent since my great-grandmother's grandmother was using it, that I'm going to hang on to the oil blend and any time I want something to smell like that china cabinet, I will know exactly what to use to replicate that scent. It's not something I'd typically wear, but to me, the scent is just so comforting that I can't help but find it appealing. As a perfume, the sillage is moderate and the wear length is about average.

[isyche]

Carfax Abbey on me is immediately fresh green woodiness – smells like a hike in the forest, leaves and dirt and wood and grass and pine needles. Like I just rolled in a pile of leaves and got up with them stuck in my hair. I have Brides of Dracula on my other hand, and this is almost the opposite of that – outdoorsy and raw and fresh instead of delicate and refined and subtle.

It gets more woody-piney and less green as it dries, and now I'm really getting the abandoned abbey feeling from it. I can't pick out the incense, but I think it makes the wood smokier.

 

I like Carfax Abbey and I get interesting images from it, but I don't think I'd wear it enough for a bottle. I can see how it would be good on a man, or it would probably be a great, evocative room-scent.

Edited November 15, 2006 by isyche

[miss apple]

Carfax Abbey - in the bottle: cold stone with a bit of earth. Once on the dry, brittle woods combine with the cold stone scent. There's something herbally and perfumey mixed in that gives it a haunting quality. Echoes of life left in an old abandoned building in the middle of winter. This is a dark and lonely oil. I can't decide if this is the perfect winter scent or if it is too evocative to wear while it is still cold and dark. Food for thought.

[azhure]

In the vial: Incense. It's a specific type of incense that I can't place.

 

Wet: The woods and herbs come out very briefly (about ten minutes) and then the incense takes over.

 

Drydown: Incense. This is a close skin scent on me, but one that I catch wafts of from time to time. Quite lovely.

[The_Merf]

In the decant: An incense blend. We shall have to see if this can carve its way into my collection, which has many such oils.

 

Wet: This is a grassy incense. I don't smell the heavy woods at all; this is quite light, almost like Hymn, with a green note in place of the roses.

 

Drydown and wear: Is consistent from its wet stage. I'm not going to get a bottle, but I will keep the decant.

[slave1]

CARFAX ABBEY

 

In Bottle: Dry woods

 

On Skin: This is a very woody scent, dry and powdery in feel. Just smelling it makes me feel like I need to apply lotion or something because my skin feels like sandpaper. The smoky incense is heavy but pretty. I smell sawdust and dried out flowers. The scent is also quite sour and sharp, not sweet at all. It reminds me of old things… old and forgotten. Personally it is not a scent I would wear, but it’s pretty and someone who likes dry woods and dry florals may like this. It has a light throw and short to average wearlength.

[jewelbug]

Imp: This is really deep and earthy. I smell sort of spicy resinous dirt and woods. It actually reminds me of Death Cap, but less sharp, less dirt, and rounder.

 

Wet: Yup, death cap without all the dirt—its still dusty, not wet earth. This is round and warm and earthy, but darkly sweet, like polished woods. I can smell light burning incense, and it reminds me of the frankinsense and copal resin I burn at home sometimes. There even seems to be a hint of spice to this.

 

Drying: I really do think that this has an orris/rooty quality about it, which is why it reminds me so much of Death Cap, though its not the same. For one, its got polished dark woods that remind me of red queen...The polished wood smell for about 30 min reminds me of furniture polish, but luckily that fades and it goes back to death cap+polished woods+dry incense.

 

Overall: This has great throw, and lasts for quite a while (8ish hours?). The smell is warm and dry and earthy all at the same time. As I mentioned umpteen times in this review, it really reminds me of Death Cap wtih a few alterations. I like it, but I like Death Cap better, and I've already got a bottle of that courtesy of the lovely minilux, so I don't need a bottle of the abbey...I might keep the imp, though.

Edited November 30, 2006 by jewelbug

[Phaedra]

Wet this is green herbs, mossy, mixed with woods- possibly cedar. When first on it's sweet florals and a perfumey incense. Very soft and light. After a couple minutes an earth/dirt note develops. This is an evocative blend of florals, herbs and earth notes. It's sort of like a fainter version of Zombi. Quite lovely.

[jade_starlight]

Carfax is green herbs, something slightly mossy, and lots of cedar trees. Overall it's quite a nice scent, and I'm sure that it would be wonderful on someone else, but it's a bit too masculine smelling on me. Off to the swaps.

[LadyMedb]

This is a beautiful incense blend to the tune of Cathedral or Anne Bonny, but a little dryer and sharper maybe. It has a bit of a men's cologne feel to it, but I expect it's unisex, just like those other two. I really do like it, but I passed on it because I already have so many delicious incense blends from BPAL that I've gotten a bit spoiled. I got a compliment in the hall at work wearing it, so I enabled my coworker instead.

[emzebel]

Mmm. At first this was very floral on me - I would guess that the incense in this is similar to that in All Souls, but lighter. Soon the woods and cedar come out, and warm to the incense, making for a sweet woody blend on me. This is very nice, if not quite what I expected.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: sweet herbs.

on: more dusty now. i mostly smell the woods and a hint of incense.

5.5 hours later: powdery herbs.

7 hours later: powdery, sweet herbs.

overall: this might be nice for layering, but it doesn't really work well alone on me.

[Naamah_Darling]

In the bottle this is herbal and a bit woodsy, a green scent but not overwhelmingly cologne-y. There is a bit of sweetness, promising incense. Very pretty.

 

On it's much nicer; it becomes cut wood, aged, and dry herbs, an arcane and mysterious scent, underscored by a waft of incense. This is a clear, pleasant scent, and it has a lot of depth. There is less green here, and more of a dry herbal scent with the odor of sandalwood and amber coming out more strongly the drier it gets.

 

As it wears, the incense becomes predominant, and that's when it is truly lovely. Close in, skin-warm amber with a hint of woody, smoky sandalwood and just a whiff of herbs. This is the smell of a box where ritual supplies have been kept. Deep and mysterious.

[QueenFae]

Dark, creeping, earthy scent. It smells like vetiver to me, or something similar. There's that same strong mustiness that doesn't quite agree with my skin. There is a hint of smokiness in the background, but it's faint. Like the wafting breeze of far off chimney smoke. This is a dark brown scent, and has medium throw but lots of sticking power.

 

This is definitely not my thing, the super earthy ones smell like leaf piles on my skin.

[lapillus]

In bottle: bright brown (both color and scent)

 

Wet: I’m mostly getting frankincense with a tiny bit of mellower woody backing.

 

Dry: the same – but not surprising as my skin really amps frankincense

 

Later: yup light, sweet frankincense, some dry airy notes have appeared around hour 4 (which is a darn odd time for top notes to show but there you have it - it must be more woods). 9 hours in the airy notes have taken over with just a sweet remainder of the incense. It gives the feel of going from a church seeing daily use to a ruin.

 

Summary: Nice light incense-y scent. Not quite exciting enough to make me work hard to find more (if it had been as dry on me as on others then I'd probably be more excited), but if more happens across my path I’ll happily use it.