Incantation

[Caltha]

Incantation

A profound and entrancing potion. Deep, wispy, and unfathomably dark: vetiver, dark woods, crumbling and burnt black sandalwood and a drop of lemon rind.

 

Obviously I had to try this one since Torrilin said in her review I must. I'm afraid it, like most green/natural/foresty BPALs, didn't work for me though. I agree with other reviewers that it's not a dark scent like the description says at all. Rather, it's a fresh, green, herbal scent. Artificially fresh, like herbal schampoo. Even though it's so light and fresh it's rather strong - I just put a little in my hair, that is cropped short, and I still feel it all around me. Feel it as in taste it in the back on my throat, like when you inhale schampoo vapours, I'm afraid. This is just the type of cool and clean and synthetic scent I try to avoid.

[Mollywogger]

I wore Incantation for the second time today, and I was reminded of how much I loved it first time around. I adore vetiver - have ever since I bought my first bottle of Clinique Aromatics Elixir in high school, which has a vetiver base note. Bath and Body Works did a vetiver scent a few years back as well.

 

This scent hits me as almost entirely vetiver, beginning to end. I did catch some of what smelled like frankincense in the beginning, and I'm getting some sandlewood now that it's been many hours, but I'd have a hard time recommending this to someone who did not like vetiver. Perhaps my skin really amps it, however.

 

In all, it's gorgeous and I love it. Green yet wistful -- and very sacred.

[indicolite]

I am not sure I got the right scent.

 

I expected something dark and sacred. Instead I got...very light, clear, almost floral.

 

A dash of citrus, yes.

 

But I am quite confused by this Incantation.

[gypsybaby1]

wet: clean... Crisp with a lemony edge, emphasis on edgey. Blech, for a brief few moments, it morphs into furniture polish!! It eventually settles into an astringent scent. Definitely better as a room scent or a linen spray than as a perfume on me.

 

eta: this has softened down into something quite delicious. Definitely can see this in the morning to cut the sleepy and get you going, or layered over another scent to cut the edge.

 

There's probably a bottle of it in the future.

Edited August 24, 2006 by Gypsybaby

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: This reminds me of an aftershave I have smelled: earthy, woody, and a little citrus.

 

Wet: Mmmm, it hums yet it is relatively quiet overall. I’m thinking I like vetiver. This is deeper and more complex than the aforementioned aftershave (the name of which I am blanking on.)

 

Drying down: The woods soften the other notes for me. To me this is a nice men’s scent. I shall have to convince my husband to anoint him with it. I can pull off masculine scents, but the ones that hearken to more traditional colognes are more difficult for me. There’s a difference between smelling masculine and smelling like I deliberately put on a men’s cologne.

 

Dry: Incantation is still dry and dark. I find it comforting, like snuggling with my husband in front of a fire, buried in wool blankets. The word entrancing is fitting. It is beautifully earthy. I would love it if he smelled this earthy. It doesn’t have the floral touch of a lot of the gentlemen’s blends.

Later: The woods stand out. The vetiver is still present, but muted. My skin has sweetened everything a touch in a way that’s almost tobacco-like. It smells like a very delicious men’s aftershave. I loved smelling it on my husband, but he said his wrist is getting itchy now. I hope he’ll let me try it on him again sometime.

[buzz23666]

Oh man - another one that I really like. I am so screwed.

 

Wet - lily of the valley, fresh cut grass and new green leaves

 

Dry - All I can say is this is lovely, simply lovely. It is a very "clear" almost transparent - in a visual sense. It has great staying power on my skin.

 

LOVE IT!

[supremegoddessofall]

This is a very familiar scent. It's the woods, but also a good club late at night - smoke and sweat and alcohol and energy. It's aftershave on a sexy man. The vetiver isn't too sharp and the lemon is just right. The sandalwood definitely has a darker tone than usual. It's not very me but yet it's appealing.

[melrose]

I've enjoyed vetiver in other scents, but it must have not been the first note listed. Vetiver is all I get from this - oh, once or twice a beautiful woodsy scent tries to come out and play, but vetiver immediately puts the smackdown on it. Too overwhelming for me.

 

 

Meditation on Incantation (as interpreted by Melrose's skin):

 

 

Meditation, shmeditation.

 

I am VETIVER.

 

Say my name,

 

Say my name . . .

[ND¢]

I didn't find it dark, and I also didn't get the motor oil smell I got last time I tried a vetiver scent. Whew! It's sweet, light, a nice herbal that doesn't venture into the sharp and medicinal territory I've been disappointed by on too many occasions. Not really my style, but still lovely to smell.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: I had high hopes for this one, perhaps as a substitle for Lenore when I run out. They don't smell that similar at first; the lemon is much stronger in Incantation.

 

Wet: The vetiver is strong at first, but the lemon is right there with it. I can't really detect the wood notes at this point.

 

Drydown and wear: This makes its turn very quickly. The vetiver goes away entirely, stealing away the dark and twisted side that I wanted this scent to have. It ends up as a lemon-dominated blend with sandalwood backing. Not bad, but I'm going to swap this one.

[slave1]

INCANTATION

 

In Bottle: Sexy dark and scary

 

On Skin: I saw vetiver in the description and almost didn’t want to try it, but wow! This scent is really sexy!! The woods are indeed very dark and take on an almost leather feel. The vetiver is earthy, but in a good way and not too dry or powdery. The lemon rind offers a beautiful bright note that creates a gorgeous contrast to the scent. This is a very masculine and rugged scent. I want my husband to wear this… right… now!!!! It’s freaking amazing! I am so happy I tried this scnet and am hoping my husband will like it as much as I do. It has a strong throw and short to average wearlength.

[jiggahava]

This is definitley a masculine scent. As far as forest scents go, I think I prefer Black Forest over this one. At first the vetiver and sandlwood come out nice and sharp. So THIS is what vetiver smells like. I rather like it. Sharp, but sometimes I like sharp scents. I feel like I'm deep in the woods on a windy day...but after an hour it starts smelling like musky male sweat. Not exactly what I want to smell like. I'm going to give it another try, and I might keep the imp..but no bottle for me.

[Voleuse]

This, for the most part, strikes me as an incense blend, except when it reminds me of furniture polish. Not in a bad way--the lemon and wood notes leave me with the impression of antique furniture, heavy and dark, polished to an impossible sheen. It's clean and dark and dignified, but not a heavy scent itself.

 

At first, I don't smell the vetiver at all, but I suspect it's providing the anchor for the other notes. After a long while, the vetiver comes out as a deep, masculine musk. It's not strong, but quite evident. Intriguing.

[filigree_shadow]

I can't really smell the vetiver in this, it seems like mostly sandalwood. I can maybe smell a teeny bit of lemon rind, but it's barely there. It just makes the sandalwood smell sweet. The imp I'm testing is at least a year old, so that probably has something to do with the scent, but as it is right now I like this quite a lot. It's a lovely sandalwood.

[Extispex]

I love woody notes, I love vetiver, I love sandalwood. The only thing I was worried about was the lemon. My skin likes to amp up citrus notes, which works well with some blends but I was afraid of the lemon overpowering this one.

 

In the bottle, this was very incensy, almost all sandalwood.

 

On my skin, truly lovely. It blends beautifully with none of the notes dominating. Its like a catching a vague breath of incense in a forest, wafting from some hidden shrine, distant chants caught on a breeze.

 

This one goes very light very quickly, but its elusive nature seems very apt to me and once in a while I catch a whiff of it when I move. I like this one a lot.

[Peaches 2]

Someone at the Lab must be very intuitive; I never would have picked this frimp for myself. In the vial, it is all lovely light sweetness. I could detect the lemon rind and sandlewood, and immediately wanted to slather it on upon opening.

 

On my skin, it remains lovely. The sweetness disipates, and it just becomes a round, woodsy, beautifulness that defies description. I can only imagine a walk in the woods on a summer morning. I don't get the depth, as it seems to be very light and airy on me. An oxymoron of scents, and definitely a keeper!

[isabella]

For some reason, it reminds me of summer whe your at your camp and you can still smell the fire from cooking lateer in the day.

 

I liiiikes it

[ladybird]

I got this as a frimp from the lab - I would never have chosen it for myself. Vetiver? Sandalwood? Dark scents? Not my usual thing.

 

So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the imp and smelled...lemon? The lemon is definitely dominant for me, and the incensey sandalwood only a softening note in the background.

 

But on my skin, alas! All sandalwood, all the time, and only growing stronger as it dried. The lemon faded away almost entirely, leaving only sandalwood and a hint of vetiver earthiness among the incense. Not for me!

[purplemoonshoes]

I don't get dark from this. In fact, it's very sunny to me. Lots of lemon and vetiver, with a nice sandalwood undertone that doesn't hit you over the head. Good if you want a lighter scent.

[Bagfish]

Incantation on my skin is a dark, woody leathery soap, and smells very masculine. Like the description says, it brings to mind dark woods and nightfall, and yes, incantations around a fire and smoking incense. It is very evocative, but just not my sort of thing.

[tinyvulture]

at first i smell crisp winter woods and slushy snow notes. it reminds me of several BPAL yule scents i’ve tried. then the dark earthiness of the vetiver makes its presence felt. the slush note turns lemony. now it smells like lemon-scented cleaner. it’s making my nose itch, so i better wash it off. darn lemon. it takes over everything, with my skin chemistry. off to swaps for this one.

[tanyak]

I tried to review this a minuite ago...but it didnt seem to work...so I hope this isnt a double post!

 

This ROCKS MY WORLD.

 

Incantation is entirely too manly for myself...but on my husband. OH. MY. GAWD!

 

In his own words, "I adore this scent!"

 

Its not dark to me either, rather crisp, clean, and almost light.

[taramarie]

I couldn't remember what Incantation's notes were when I put it on, but I knew immediately that I knew the scent but couldn't place it. Now that I can see the notes, I know I'm getting vetiver, woods, and a little bit of lemon. It is absolutely gorgeous, definitely a new favorite, and a bottle buy as soon as humanly possible.

[Babylon]

Heavy vetiver, damp woods, with a hint of lemon zest. Not for me, especially with my nemesis, vetiver. It did its usual Y HELO THAR amp and let almost nothing else shine through after drydown.

[dydan]

It never ceases to amaze me how scents have a psychological effect on people. I've always been a big fan of incense since I was a little girl attending high mass in a big catholic church. There are certain scents that immediately shift my brain into a place of sacredness.

 

Incantation does that...and more.

 

Its deep and dark, like a moonlit grove on a crisp Samhain night. Its a scent that beckons me to lift my arms to the sky and draw power deep into myself, reveling in the greatest of mysteries.

 

I cant stop sniffing my wrist, closing my eyes and wishing myself away to my astral grove. I'll be doing some serious magick with this creation, Beth!

 

I didnt think I'd find something I love as much as Kali, but I think Incantation is rocketing to the top of my list!