Sol Invictus

[zankoku_zen]

A radiant blend of solar oils: golden amber, saffron, heliotrope, hibiscus, citron, frangipani, frankincense, tangerine, mock orange, and orange blossom.

I was hoping for a very citrusy-orange sort of smell. Very much like Et Lux Fuit.

In the imp: Slightly herbal.

On Skin: Very herbal. Almost green. No citrus.

On Drydown: I get more of the amber/powdery smell now. It's very warm. But again, no citrus and still slightly herbal.

Verdict: My skin chemistry makes me so sad. I was hoping for some of the lovely fruity citrus that everyone else was getting. Ah well, it was not meant to be. ELF has no competition then.

ETA: edited to add description Edited September 18, 2007 by zankoku_zen

[grrrlennyl]

at first: i think all i smell is frankincense.

on: lots of frankincense with a hint of bitter citrus.

2.5 hours later: a soft incense scent with a hint of citrus.

4.5 hours later: sweet oranges with a bit of incense.

overall: this is interesting, but not for me. the frankincense lovers should adore it, though.

[Celestyna]

I like the promise of this scent, but on the drydown the amber seems to melt away.

 

The band Sol Invictus reminds me of strong resin, and it does seem to be what's left in the end, so kudos on a strange level.

[lightgatherer]

Citrus. Not a bad citrus smell, but citrus. I never got any other notes but citrus. I wish I had more to report than that, but my skin entirely ate this after about an hour or two.

 

EDIT: After reading some reviews about how much some people loved this, I decided to give it another try with a heavier application. Unfortunately, I still just get all citrus again, but with a bitter note this time. The smell still dies after a couple hours.

[mspixieears]

The first thing I think of when I apply this and catch a whiff is just how radiant it is – it’s a very ‘sunny’ fragrance. The drydown is a bit on the powdery side though I can also smell the slight hint of citrus. Overall, very uplifting. Beautiful and I can just pick up a hint of saffron!

[n1k1ta]

Oranges and incense are the strongest notes in the bottle. I'm reminded of citrus potpourri. It's juicy yet comforting.

 

The florals practically explode when Sol Invictus hits my skin. Bright and rather cheerful. Like coming back home after a journey.

 

The amber mellows everything out after an hour. Spicy citrus-floral with a touch of incense is what I get in about two hours. This is a wonderful, strong perfume and I urge fans of spicy orange to check Sol Invictus out!

[ariansdreams]

I have to say, when I tried this when I first ordered it, it was very "meh." It went all smoky and boring on me, and was a bit disappointing. I got it out the other day, as I was considering putting my bottle up for sale (after the initial try, I never wore it again), opened the cap, and sniffed.

 

And whoa, amber. Whoa. And orange. Whoa. It has aged AMAZINGLY.

 

I put a bit on my skin, and it just got better. Golden warm, sunny, amber, and oranges. This is absolutely perfect. The amber came out to play, and my skin loved it! The amber is very similar to the very sacred, rich amber that is in The Lion.

 

I absolutely cannot stop sniffing myself. I feel very sexy and very sacred at the same time.

 

This scent is absolute gold, in so many ways!

 

So yeah. It ages like a dream! I can't wait to see if it gets even better...

[Tess]

I. Want. Citrus. Amber and the other notes are good, too, but orange blossom? I die of delight.

 

In the bottle - This isn't nearly as sunny to my nose as Et Lux Fuit and the frankincense is doing something rather odd, rather... sour?

 

Wet - Very much like winter sunlight. The amber and florals are nice and bright, but are being held back by the incense darkness.

 

Drying - ...I really don't think I like frankincense on me. It's great to burn, but it really smells sour here and just off. However, there's lovely LOVELY orange blossom that's smooth and lovely. If the darkness of the incense would calm down, this would be a scent for me to wear constantly.

 

Dry (1 hour) - It's very incensey still and the amber is a little bit dusty, but there's a little touch of the florals and citrus that make it sunny. It really is a darker version of Et Lux Fuit, like winter sunlight.

 

Overall - I think I'll be keeping this bottle. It's not a "wow!" like Et Lux Fuit, but it's nice.

[bryghtrose]

The amber completely overwhelmed everything else in this scent. It was a very warm, rich, full amber, but the amber was all that I could smell. It was a little monotone.

[Tal Shachar]

The frankincense here is sharp enough that it strikes my nose as green, and there is a beautiful blend of herbal-incense-floral-citrus. The amber does kick in after a few minutes and warm it up, very much like the sun coming out.

 

This is a fantastic citrus, too--warm, floral, even dry. Not that there's no juice in the oranges, but it didn't hit me in the face with bouncyjuicy and dominate everything else. The flowers are creamy and also stayed in the background. Amber and frankincense were the dominant notes on me, which made the blend very Sol and very Invictus.

 

Now to hunt up a bottle...

[Naamah_Darling]

This is so high and bright and clear . . . amber and strong citrus with a sweet flush of flowers and a lick of tangerine. The florals come out more on the skin, with a breath of sweet, fruity resins. This is such a cheerful, radiant scent, unsullied and bright. I was expecting this to be more incense-heavy than it is, but it's mostly sweet citrus and a little floral. Lovely and cheerful.

 

The florals and the sharp citrus die back a bit as it dries, letting the rich amber and golden frankincense come to the fore in a scent that is fuzzy and radiantly warm.

[Honor]

Bottle: Bubblegum (??) I'm so weird. I figured this would smell alot like Lut Ex Fuit, but all I'm getting is fruity bubblegum. And no citrus whatsoever

 

Wet: More fruity bubblegum with cherry and a hint of orange. Not getting the "warm" feeling I get from Et Lux.

 

Dry: Less bubblegum, and more just general fruity, with a hint of herbs/greens behind it. Sweet, fruity, and pretty overall. I just wish I could pick out individual notes better.

[Neely]

Ok I have to say due to the notes I almost didn't order this one. I thought it would make bubblegum scent with my chemistry. Let me say how glad I am I bought a bottle!

 

In the bottle: sweet, not candy sweet, or powdery sweet, just citrus sweet. Like the fruit (not skin) of an orange. And the color is golden yellow and orange with this scent.

 

Wet: sweet citrus, like an orange pixie stick, a little powdery. I worried at this point my first instinct was going to be right at this point.

 

Dry down: orange pixie stick but more sophisticated. Like pixie stick and champagne are on a date. This is sparkling and uplifting.

 

30 minutes: orange with a hint of spice. Not cinnamon, but spice. It is very light. Like a pomander ball you make in elementary school with oranges and cloves, which is perfect for a Yulie scent.

 

Conclusion: this is a sparkling golden scent, which captures the Sun. It is perfect for the dark of Winter as it is like wearing mimosas (orange juice and champagne, not the tree) on your skin. It would also be great for sunny Summer days too. Lovely Beth, you are a genius. I hope you don't get tired of me saying that in my reviews.

 

Rating 1-5: on my skin this is a 4.5.

[Extispex]

Yeah right, like I could resist an oil named Sol Invictus. Of course I had to have it.

 

And I love it. I kinda knew the notes would work on my skin anyway - I love the way orange and tangerine smell on me. My skin tends to amp citrus, but its generally okay with tangerine or orange because they're lovely on me.

 

In the bottle, its surprisingly light, almost floral with a slight citrus tang.

 

Wet, on my skin, blammo. The citrus goes wild and amps up just like I thought it would. Its a beautiful bittersweet citrus though, really gorgeous and warm with a hint of spice, but not so spicy as to smell like potpourri. However it doesn't quite smell edible. It smells more like an offering of fruits and flowers left upon an altar, with the faint remnants of spicy incense wafting heavenward.

 

As it dries I get more of the amber sweetness but on me, Sol Invictus remains mostly bittersweet, very well blended. None of the notes really slap me in the face, though the citruses are certainly detectable. Its definitely an aroma with a solar glow to it, and all aspects of the sun seem to be represented, everything from the bounteous to the brutal. Sol Invictus definitely lives up to the name, and I couldn't be happier with it.

[alicia_stardust]

Sol Invictus is warm and glittering. It smells golden and warm and it feels like it creates an aura of warmth and light amidst the dark winter months.

 

I get a sharp orange kick to this, and the amber is there in full force... my favorite part of the blend! There's a touch of spice in there. This wears for quite a while before fading off, and I really enjoy the way this makes me feel.

 

I do not think it's a reaction to the oil but for some reason whenever I wear this scent I seem to get warm and almost flushed. It definitely brings to mind warmth and light.

 

I rate this 4 out of 5 in my review spreadsheet.

[arabella]

First Impression: A creamy floral

Dries down to: Becomes softer and smokier and, finally, soapy.

Additional Comments: This is an intriguing blend. The amber softens it, the saffron and frankincense give it punch and the florals tend to the orange family. It's nice except for the soapiness and I don't know where it's coming from.

Lasted: 2-3 hours

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

[CrazyPretzel]

A generous frimp from andrabell

 

In the imp: golden herbs, neroli, a little dusty orange.

 

Wet on me: tart orange sweets. I can smell neroli and something peppery.

 

After a few minutes: As it begins to dry it becomes more resinous and less candy-like. I can definitely smell the amber now, and the neroli is much more floral than citrus. This is really very herbal and smells a bit like a Chinese apothecary. I think I said the same thing about Ahathoor.

 

Drydown: Other reviewers have called this bittersweet, and it is that. For a scent with amber and frankincense it's surprisingly solemn to me - not any less golden, but definitely a fire-in-the-midst-of-darkness sort of scent. Which is appropriate for a solstice oil, I suppose.

 

It's intriguing but I don't know how often I'd wear it -- my instinct is to hang on to it because it's an LE but I may pass it along to someone if I see it on their wishlist

[Dinerdulcinea]

Guess I never reviewed this either!

 

I know I didn't like it last year when I tried it...after it has aged several months, it is very gentle. A little musty in the sense of a well-loved room filled with antiques. There is a very beautiful incense-y note under there, but on me, it quite muted by the scent of powder.

 

Oh alas. Frankincense USED to do me right and now it seems to be powder powder powder in many blends.

 

Meh.

[Miss Lynx]

Definitely sunny -- this scent just about radiates light and warmth. Initially, very strongly citrussy, though with enough of a resinous backdrop to keep it from being too over-the-top.

 

As it settles in, the citrus mellows, as you might expect, and the other notes become a bit stronger. There's hibiscus's characteristic tartness, a strong overtone of floral sweetness, and the amber and frankincense giving it a warm incensey base. The more time passes, the more the resinous, incensey notes take over, and I find myself starting to really like it just before it fades away completely.

 

Overall, it's sweeter than I expected, and there's a slight soapiness to it at some points that I think might be the heliotrope. It's not bad, but I'm not sure I'll keep it -- I have other "liquid sunshine" scents that I like better (Aglaea, The Lion and Leo 2007 come to mind).

 

Grade: B

[dirtytrip]

Where was my brain in early 2007? I could have been lavishing myself all over with this scent all this time. I wouldn't say this is a sunny scent, but it is warm, and the neroli and orangy florals just do the most delightful duet on me. Additionally, amber and heliotrope are some of my best BPAL friends. It does get somewhat soapy, but this time, I find it most pleasant. Heady throw too. Must get more!

[hkhm]

bottle: amber and frangipani and citrus.

 

wet: the frangipani and frankincense take center stage right away but then start to smooth out a few moments later. then the amber warms up and mixes with the various citrus notes. very warm and comforting.

 

dry: the amber dries a bit more softly than usual while the citrus notes seem most dominant.

[gchris]

In Vial: Fir trees

 

Wet: Very outdoorsy with the hint of something sweet. I know there is a lot of orange in this but I don't smell any of it.

[metaldog32]

I bought this way back in 2006 because I liked the idea of having a sun based fragrance..they always remind me of my father. It also didn’t hurt that this particular Yule blend had the golden amber/frankincense/orange trio going on.

 

So far I’ve tried Sol, The Sportive Sun, and Leo. All of them have been pretty good interpretations of the sun on me; let’s see how I do with this one.

 

Initial sniff from bottle: It certainly smells like golden sunshine to me; I register the amber straight away and the some sort of citrus..so I’m not sure if it’s the citron, tangerine, or mock orange. I also get a bit of a wisp of floral with a tinge of that frankincense rounding up the back but they are very subtle..at least to my nose. So far so good.

 

Applied wet on skin: Saffron and amber and citrus…it’s warm but not cloying…really do like it.

 

Couple of minutes on skin:More tangerine and mock orange now..with the amber sitting in the back..not getting so much the frankincense or the floral just yet..but it’s still early.

 

20 minutes later::Okay..here’s the frankincense now..making more of an appearance with the amber and now faint citrus. Interestingly enough I do get a bit of a lazy floral weaving in here..but it’s blended seamlessly in here so I can’t register exactly what it is..what I do know is that it does lend a bit of sweetness.

 

It does remind me of a bit of a herbal resinous warm scent with touches of fruit and floral although in the later stages the latter notes take more of a supporting role with the amber and frankincense becoming more prominent in the latter stages.

 

Lasting power on me is very good; 8+ hours with throw average.

 

Drydown: It’s an echo of a bit of a dry amber with the frankincense wisp on the end and a touch of perhaps powdery like sweetness which I think on me is attributed to the amber but I can’t be sure.

 

Bottom Line: Sol Invictus as other people have commented does represent to me the sun at winter solstice..I love it’s notes that give me warmth but the frankincense kind of reminds me that it’s warmth is suspended in the clear cold winter skies…love it for now and it’s a definite keeper.

[msbcozad]

Sol Invictus

 

The air is crisp today. While the roads are clear and dry, the grassy landscape and trees are covered with ice-crusted snow. The sky is cloudless and the sun is bright. This is a perfect day for Sol Invictus.

 

The amber and orange and frankincense and melding beautifully to create a bright, if chilly, scent. This a perfect representation of the winter sun.

[surlygurl]

I decided to put this on today as a counterpoint to the rain.

 

Fresh on, I smell the saffron. LOTS of saffron. Then the amber & (I think) sunny heliotrope. It smells like a perfumed person just spent the afternoon cooking saffron-based foods.

 

Aaah! There it is! The saffron finally begins to release it's iron grip and some sweetness (frangipani? frankincense?) comes slowly into the mix. The citrus doesn't break through but sits shyly in the background, allowing the amber-saffron to call the shots.

 

"You! Frangipani! Over there!"

"You! Frankincense! Quit clowning & stand by the wall!"

"Citrus! Get back to where you were!"

 

Eventually, the other elements of this scent realize they they outnumber saffron-amber and stage a coup. Frankincense lifts up the citrus; frangipani & heliotrope come together & bring sweetness. Amber is kept around to do the heavy lifting and saffron is allowed to stay in the background and give occasional press releases (wouldn't want saffron to become a martyr, would we?).

 

After about an hour, this becomes a softly pretty golden scent, warm & sweet. But Damn! What it has to go through to get there!

 

Then it fades away.........

Edited February 22, 2009 by surlygurl