Severin

[ND¢]

... Dry black teas, Earl Grey, and leather.

In the bottle: I'm thinking 'what is this, Lemon Pledge.' Then I breathe out and realize it's bergamot. Five minutes later I'm still standing there sniffing; it's pretty interesting. I don't smell any leather.

On me: A bit lemony and the bergamot is lessened but now I can smell (sort of) what they're talking about with the leather. To me it smells like a flat bottom note that keeps the lemon/bergamot from being out of control. I can't stop sniffing it. Light, but compelling. No sharpness. Then I started to think I was smelling the leather. Seemed to fade to a ghost of a pleasing old man quickly. Less staying power than anything else I've tried, and that's disappointing. I ordered a bottle right away.

[mountainwitch]

Severin is another leather blend I was way too skeptical to order myself. Tea and leather? Why in the world would anyone want to smell like tea and leather?

 

What a shock. The leather reminds me of De Sade, but this time it's made even more interesting--and oddly appealing, almost edible--by the addition of tea. On me the scent seems to last for hours, and I know I need a bottle of this . . . Unless I break down and order a bottle of Loviatar first!

Edited August 16, 2006 by mountainwitch

[sofiaviolet]

The tea and leather combine to make this seem less menacing than it really is. I haven't figured out which leather smell it is for me (Loviatar being the sexy one and De Sade being the comforting one). It's wonderful.

[illyriajem]

Opening the bottle I got a strong fruity smell. Putting it on, the first thing I thought was really fruity alcohol!! In the end I'm agreeing with the Lemon Pledge comparison.

 

Oddly I do still really like the scent. I'll have to try this another day to be sure.

[myoubi]

On me: vaguely soapy. a whiff of tea, but mostly soap. blahh, must wash off.

 

On a friend's boyfriend: sex. unpushy, discreet, pure sex. when you're in an upscale lounge in New York and in walks a drop-dead gorgeous gentleman in an impeccably-tailored black suit, who glances around coolly and then goes to sit at the bar. he doesn't say anything, because he doesn't have to; all the women in the room have instinctively gone mrrrrow.

[oddment]

What I get from this scent is Earl Grey and leather. On me, the leather doesn't play up too much, and the bergamot and tea are extremely comforting scents to me personally--this is one of the very few scents I actually wear, and I particularly like it when I'm stressed.

 

It also occasionally strikes me as extremely sexy, but neither of these rather disconnected reactions are related at all to the book.

 

(Also, I have to admit--the leather scent makes me think that if Dorian is a wicked Victorian gentleman, Severin's kind of a tea-drinkin' cowboy with a fondness for bergamot and probably a certain level of defensiveness about it. "When you call me that, smile!" and all that.

...

My associations just don't make any sense at all. But this is probably my favourite scent--I don't do as well with blends that are extremely complex.)

[Natch]

in the bottle: citrus tea! fresh oranges really...

 

wet: lemon/citrus with perhaps a soft leather undertone. There's tea, but I don't get a lot of it.

 

dry: the scent has really toned down and refined- a brilliant blend of earl grey, lemon, and soft leather.

 

overall impression: This is a really nice scent, sophisticated, but it's not my style. There's also something in it that pokes at the back of my brain and makes me think: lemon pledge on old wooden furniture. But most of the time, it's really very nice.

 

Grade: B+

[supremegoddessofall]

Mmm! Teas and leather. I haven't liked any of the leather scents I've tried so far, but this one is pretty good.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: This is certainly leather and another note that at one sniff smells like bergamot and at the other sniff smells like lemon.

 

Wet: This is very lemony--even to the point of overpowering the leather--at first.

 

Drydown and wear: The scent regains its inspiration and "truth" quickly; the leather reasserts itself, and the citrusy bergamot blends very well. It's the cleanest leather blend I've tried yet (beating out Les Infortunes de la Vertu in that category), and I'm quite a fan. This seems like it would be very good for work or professional situations.

[jasmine]

Severin smells divine when freshly applied... just divine. There’s a streak of lemon through the center of various tea smells. I can’t pick up the leather yet, which makes me reasonably happy, though there’s a solidity at the core of the smell that will probably develop into leather. For now, it’s various lemons and tea, and I don’t disapprove. (I note that, after reviewing the forums, the “lemon” I pick up is probably bergamot.)

 

Still no sign of the leather. This isn’t a girly scent, but it isn’t painfully masculine, either -- I can imagine wearing it and feeling very elegant and sophisticated as I did. (I can also imagine smelling it on someone else and purring with pleasure. In fact, I plan to slather it on someone else and purr with pleasure at him, as soon as I have the opportunity!) To my surprise, it’s also settling into my skin. Severin has decided to be subtle on me.

 

Revision: that’s not subtle, that’s “really subtle”. It’s only been a few minutes, and Severin is just a ghost on my skin with no throw at all. I can detect it, but I’m also perfectly willing to put my nose within half an inch of my skin, and I certainly don’t expect most other people to do that.

 

...and now, one hour after application, it’s basically gone. Still, though it faded so terribly fast on me, I loved the way it smelled, and I understand why people lust after it as fiercely as they do. That was very, very nice... just terribly brief. Darn.

[Seattlejo]

Got this tossed in as part of a decant circle frimp. It's something I'd order for myself based on the descrption

 

I put it on, intially smelling the notes of tea, and a smokyness, perhaps the leather? then it morphed into lemon. Bright shiny lemons that bite your senses. It doesnt seem to calm down, and all I can think of is Joy dish soap gone mad.

 

Meh to the trade pile it goes.

[Alchemy21599]

Leather and tea are two of my favorite notes, so I'd been itching to try this for a while.

 

In the imp: bergamot and tea.

 

Wet: bergamot

 

Dry: I really amped the bergamot. No leather

[portalkat]

Severin is a mild black tea blend. It is less astringent than a lot of other tea blends and the bergamot is rather gentle, too and a bit perfumey. The leather, too, is much more gentle than in other blends and settles over all. On me, this is a very balanced, soft skin scent - lovely.

[Eros]

This starts out as a bright, fresh lemon with a hint of spice and a touch of sweetness. The leather is barely there, almost nonexistent. As time goes by this becomes a light, creamy lemon that stays close to the skin. Definitely more on the masculine side. Elegantly male. Lovely!

[eanewsom]

This is my first leather scent, and also my first one that has tea prominently, so I have to figure out which one I don't like. It's so bizarre on me! There's a tree near my house that has this really distinctive-smelling pollen that sets off my allergies like crazy, and as soon as I smell it, I know to get my kleenex in position. The note that I get underneath the bergamot smells exactly like that pollen, but it doesn't bother my nose.

 

Besides the wierd pollen smell, it was ok, but just struck me as kind of blah.

[Jishin]

I initially thought of this as Jean-Luc Picard in a bottle, but no ... it's more like ... hot lifeguard in a bottle? hot tennis instructor in a bottle? I can't for the life of me remember which, but there's a a vague memory attached to a scent very much like this, that was all sun and light and exercise and pro-sport stuff.

 

There is a quick flash of lemon and then it settles down very fast into this rich, sun-drenched scent. Unfortunately, it has virtually no throw at all on me, which I find sad, as I really rather like it.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Mmm bergamot!

 

On me:

Oh yeah, that's bergamot alright - it's a tangy, deep citrus smell. Slightly on the masculine side, but not too much so. Clean, crisp and tangy. Right behind that, I can smell a dry leather smell. It's pretty faint though, I would have to say that the bergamot/Earl Grey scent is the strongest in this.

 

Then after it's really dry on my skin, the leather scent practically disappears and the bergamot turns suddenly mildly soapy. It's still citrusy too, but now it smells more like a bar of soap than anything.

 

Final note:

I had waited a long time to try Severin. I did think I would like it though, because I love bergamot and I love leather, so it was surprising to see this go a little soapy on me. It's not a bad scent by any means, it's just not for me.

[emzebel]

Wow. Tea and leather. Specifically, warm, lemony earl gray with a pinch of leather. This is awesome stuff.

[black_and_bloom]

Oh yum - Severin really is quite true to the notes listed. The tea note is indeed quite dry and is bitingly balanced by the leather note. Simple, yet powerful. This is fading quickly, alas, but is so dead sexy that I'll be reapplying it before bedtime. *grin*

[steffanina]

Severin-

 

In Bottle: Oh, bergamot. Just like Earl Grey tea, which I love!

 

Wet: Bergamot again, a hint of orange but I think that's just native to bergamot and not a separate scent. I think I can sense some sugar in the tea scent, and maybe the leather is coming through?

 

Dry: This is so nice! This is Dorian's older, more reliable cousin--the one that you decide to settle down with after realizing that wastrel Dorian will never give you the respect you want. It's a much gentler scent than I was expecting, and on me the leather is merely hinted at. This is a lightly sweet Earl Grey tea, very lovely. (A note: Neither this nor Dorian actually smell like scents I'd give to a man. They feel like very feminine scents to me.)

 

Overall: I like a lot!

[Browneyes]

Imp: A freshly cut lemon slice just dropped into a cup of hot and sweetened Earl Grey tea. No kidding, it smells just like that!

Wet: The same. I presume the lemon impression is actually coming from the bergamot. It's very fresh and clean smelling. No leather yet. I don't know if this is supposed to be masculine?

Dry: Ah, now it seems to get a more masculine twist. I think that comes from the subtle leather note that is blooming as it warms up on my skin. But I have a hard time spotting leather blends... Still quite clean and crisp. Not masculine in the feral, gritty way. More like a dandy.

Overall, a very pleasant and wearable blend. The boyf liked it too, alot it seemed. Funny since the smell reminds me so much of a dapper dandy young man Ultimately, however, this scent reminds me of generic hotel bath products, so I don't think I'll get much wear out of it.

[filigree_shadow]

This smells like leather and cleanliness. It doesn't smell like soap, but it smells like something that's clean. The combination reminds me quite a lot of my husband's own natural skin scent. When I sniff it, I automatically think of him. I like it a lot just for that reason alone.

 

But it's wonderful anyway, just on its own. The leather isn't overly strong, it's slightly subdued. The teas give it some class so that it doesn't smell like a raw and raunchy leather scent. It smells polished and refined.

 

Great scent.

[tinyvulture]

Strong black tea with a squeeze of lemon, over soft faded leather. After about 5 minutes, the lemon goes all soft and powdery and slightly floral, and the leather lingers faintly. The tea is still going strong, though – it’s really the main attraction here.

 

Nice… but a little less masculine than I was expecting. My husband doesn’t do florals. That’s OK, I think I’ll wear this one myself

[ariosa]

I received this as a frimp from the lovely roseaeron, and when I read the initial description, I was a little leery. I haven't found much luck with tea scents. I do LIKE them, but I find that they give me a headache after long wear. I was also thinking that Severin would be totally masculine. But this? This I'm hoping doesn't do the same thing to me, because it's a nice cup of tea with a fresh, juicy lemon section dropped in. I LOVE this. It's not too masculine at all. It's nice and light and lemony, and I have now found yet ANOTHER scent I'd like to wear in warm weather. Aiee!

 

I'll post an update if it ends up giving me a headache like a few of the other tea blends do.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: earl grey, bergamoty and citrusy. Yum!

 

On Skin: Earl Grey.

 

Drydown: Tea and citrusy, with just a wee hint of leather

 

After an hour: Very cologney, tends to be slightly more masculine.

 

Verdict: I hope this works on the boy because it's pertty yummy. Clean but tough. Sophisticated with a hint of danger. But if it doesn't work for him, I'll keep it because it's a refreshing take and I do enjoy it loads.