Epitaph

[Medici]

Heap not on this mound
Roses that she loved so well:
Why bewilder her with roses,
That she cannot see or smell?

She is happy where she lies
With the dust upon her eyes.

Roses and funeral lilies perceived, faintly, through an indistinct, ghostly mist.

In the bottle: A reminder of gelid florals, and the overwhelming sensation of something lingering just beyond the periphery of your vision - faint, cold, ephemeral. This is the scent of lilies whose perfume has faded under a hard rain, and red roses bled white. At first sniff, Epitaph evokes the idea of the first frost in a graveyard, and the living returning to remember their dead, only to find that the last transient memorial bouquet left on the marker has long seen its beauty fade.

Wet: As my chemistry has a tendency to let any lily note take the fore, the roses are a bare reminder that they're there. The dominant impression I'm getting, as in the bottle, is one of fog - a cool morning mist making petals dewy, but the petals themselves are a secondary consideration. It's a very light, airy scent that lingers just over the surface of the skin.

Drydown: Much the same. I find that what little lily there is overpowers any reminder that there was a rose in this blend. For the most part, I'm struck by the impression of transience; it's not enough to say that Epitaph "smells like mist" (although that is the first thing that comes to mind - a fresh, pale green-edged, spectral miasma) because it is a ghostly sort of blend - but after about twenty minutes, the florals peek back out. It's not, in my opinion, much of a morpher. It's like the conversation between notes stays between the three dominant "impressions."

It's lovely, but the loveliness is in the suggestion and romance, rather than in the strength of the blend.

[Thaleia]

This scent is what I wanted both Silentium Amoris and The Reaper and the Flowers to be. I have a ton of SA from last year's anniversary, and don’t know what to do with it all now that I’ve found this. SA is definitely more assertive, and a little of that goes a very long way (it actually burns if I put on too much - skin doesn't seem to like ylang ylang as a main note in a scent). R&F was really sharp and green, grassy, and bitter, while this one’s gentler, probably from the addition of the ‘numinous mist’ note I love from The Unicorn and Leanan Sidhe. Of course I get lots of roses, because I always do (skin chemistry and all that), but they’re tempered by the mist and the faint addition of lily. A gentle, melancholy scent - so beautiful.

[edenssixthday]

Epitaph – This is a nice rose and lily scent, very somber and definitely funereal in nature. It’s a very pretty scent, but for me, it doesn’t really stand out from most of the other Ars Moriendi blends. The throw and staying power are both about average.

[slave1]

EPITAPH

 

In Bottle: Strong floral

 

On Skin: Wow, this one makes my eyes tear up. It is very strong and very tart for a floral. The rose amps on me severe and it loves to turn sour sadly. The lily is behind it, with a slight sticky sweet note but the rose overpowers it. The ghostly mist just seems like more white florals. It’s quite soapy on me and very overwhelming. Still a pretty scent and very feminine, just not my style. If you are a fan of strong florals try this for sure. I’m going to pass it on to a better home. Strong throw and long wearlength.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is strong, sharp floral...

 

once applied the florals abound...gardenia, magnolia, lilies; maybe a touch of rose...

 

pretty, but not quite my cup of tea.

[FallDaze]

At first sniff, I got an almost clinical, floraly smell.

 

As I put it on, the roses immediately became prevalent, but I could still catch faint hints of lilies underneath. Sadly the rose turned a little sour to my noes *damn you skin chemistry*

 

Although the scent did fade a little, no real great transformation took place. The roses were still overpowering just about everything else, and after a while it started giving me a slight headache Which is sad because I hoped this would be a really good scent for me.

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle and on my skin, this is a soapy laundry type of scent. It's like pulling cold, wet clothes out of the washing machine after washing them with a perfumey, sweet, floral scented laundry detergent. High-pitched, sharp soapiness and sweet, fakey floral. It's more perfumey, heavy, and unpleasant than blends like Dirty, but still a floral laundry soap scent.

 

In the drydown, this just keeps getting soapier & sharper, and starts to give me a headache. I can't pick out rose or lily exactly, but it definitely has a cheap floral perfume quality to it.

 

Blech. This one is awful on me.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Little Bird

[alicia_stardust]

EPITAPH

 

This is a lovely, haunting scent. It has a smattering of dust and mist that sort of conceal and soften the rose and lily. The two have a very funereal scent to them, sort of faded and moderated. There is an almost candy-tart sort of twist to the florals so they are very different for me than most rose and lily blends. Very ethereal and evocative.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

honestly i bought this because i adore the poem that accompanies it.

i've always found it beautiful and heart-wrenching and just... lovely.

didn't think i'd care much for the scent, so it sat unopened for awhile.

 

omg. the lab only has one rose blend that i really, really love (two five and seven) because most of them are just tooooo much rose. however, i love lilies in just about any form i can get 'em.

and "ghostly mist" ? bring it on!

 

and this... oh this is brilliant. i don't get roses, really, except for maybe the *idea* of roses.

then again, i don't really get lilies, either.

this lands somewhere in the land of Black Opal, House of Mirrors, Spirits of the Dead, the Evening Star and Archangel Winter.

sparkling crystal clear, clean (not soapy!), gentle, feminine and just so beautiful (and GC!) that it nearly brings me to the same emotion as the lovely poem that accompanies it so very well.

 

to quote Ritchie Kotzen and a random song lyric that simply fits the moment:

i understand the meaning now.

 

and i MUST needs buy several bottles. or a gallon.

 

*quick edit to add:

the review above was based on a bottle that had sat for about two months unopened. i got a brand new bottle of it today and it smells just as lovely. i seriously need about a gallon of this stuff!

Edited January 8, 2008 by TrailerTrashPrincess

[yeahbutnobut]

Epitaph

 

In the imp: a very, very, very soft, slightly sweet and watery floral.

Wet on skin: lilies, pale white lilies with something clouding them.

Dry: now I smell a hint of rose, but the main scent here is lily…it’s a white lily like the one in Tiger Lily, but there’s something unusual about this. This is a hazy floral, like flowers wrapped in fog, there’s a definite cloudiness to the scent, it’s not clear and crisp, but muted and blurred. This does indeed smell like flowers in the mist. It’s a gentle, ethereal, and sweetly powdery scent-slightly watery and dewy but also powdery. There’s also a hint of what could be violet in here, which isn’t listed but I smell it here.

After a while: the soft misty scent clears and the lilies now smell more apparent, and a little sharper. They now smell like the lily/lily of the valley from Lush’s Lily Savon soap, in fact! There’s that slight hint of lemon to it that I get from the soap. I fear this will turn soapy as well.

This teeters on the brink of soapiness, and I’m not sure about the slight sharpness I get here, but there’s a lily note to this that smells like the gorgeous musky lily in Kubla Khan! I also smell more of the rose now, as well as an airy, ghostly scent which is almost like a gentle ozone (an airy ozone, not stormy). This moves between a waxy lily and sharp rose, to a cool and sweet misty lily, I like that scent, but I’m not sure about the slight hint of soap I get sometimes. It reminds me slightly of Victoria, but not as fresh and without the crisp musk, and with a soapier lily. The drydown is like the lilies of Kubla Khan with a rose that reminds me of Silentium Amoris.

Verdict: this really does smell like misty, ghostly lilies and roses. the lily is strongest, but even then it is wrapped in a soft layer of a note that I cannot distinguish, a mysterious powdery-hazy-airy scent which indeed is an ethereal mist hanging over the lily. When that does clear, sadly, the lily does turn a little soapy, the rose a little sharp. This is a very pretty, evocative scent but I prefer a few other lily-rose scents to this one.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Maybe. This is a haunting scent.

If you like this, try: Tiger Lily, the Reaper and the Flowers, Victoria, Atrocious Attic, Sepulchre, Phantom Wooer, Kubla Khan

[filigree_shadow]

There is something about this blend that I love. I'm not sure what it is. I think it's the "ghostly mist" part. It has a floaty misty quality that really appeals to me, with some soft florals behind it. The florals don't seem to be overly prominent, just gentle and pretty. It has something of a clean aspect to it, too -- not clean like soap, but clean like pure.

 

This one is a surprise hit for me. Very nice.

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Roses, urgh!

 

Wet: Very aquatic and haunting, but still all about the rose! Unfortunately, too much rose.

 

Drydown: I wish I liked rose, the lab always sends me frimps of rose scents.

2.5 outta 5

[erraticprophet]

Initial Impression: lily, rose

 

On Wet: strong aquatics, hint of lily

 

On Dry: aquatics and a hint of flowers

 

Final Impression: Really interesting and unusual. Gave the impression of smelling flowers through water.

 

Rating (on a scale from 1-5): 2.5 only because I'm not all that fond of florals in general. For the idea and execution of the idea, I give it a 5.

[LauraB]

Am I wearing the same perfume as everyone else?

 

It starts off surprisingly green and cold - there are floral notes there behind the greenery and they gradually become more prominent. Roses are there, but no one floral dominates really. The overall impression is of walking into a florist's shop.

 

Nice, but other BPAL florals suit me better, so I'll stick with them.

Edited January 19, 2008 by LauraB

[theseagrows]

this reminds me a bit of the atrocious attic, as well as antique lace. it has that creamy-floral scent to it, once it settles on my skin. at first the lily or other white florals in it turn a bit sour, but after that stage it's a creamy rose and it's very pretty and soft.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Old perfume and water vapor (yeah, really).

 

Immediately on skin: This is ghostly roses and lilies… like a traditional perfume and light, wet vapor. It’s lightened, but it’s still a traditional smelling blend to me.

 

After a little while: This is a lighter but still classical rose and lily scent on me. It’s very well blended though and there’s definitely something more there… maybe a hint of bergamot? The note gives this a haunting tanginess that is quite pleasant.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a very pretty scent with a traditional perfume feel, but there’s a little more to it. It’s just a touch haunting and I’m not sure what really causes that, but it’s nice and just a little different.

[ryokokoro]

Straight from the imp, I get the rose with a misty, mostly powdery scent.

 

On the skin, I barely smell the lily at all. A little of the powdery feel lays like dusty lace over the top of the juiciest rose scent I've ever smelled. The rose smells like it's almost dripping and sweet, like I could take a bite right out of it. I'm not sure I'll ever buy a 5ml of it, but I will be keeping this imp for occasional use. Maybe even buy a second and third for backup, as this one seems to be growing on me by the hour. Very delicious.

Edited March 24, 2008 by firewoman

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter perfume - the kind you'd expect little old church ladies to wear.

 

On wet: It's sweetened up slightly - I can smell the lilies and the lightest brush of rose...but there's still a sour/bitter edge running underneath.

 

Drydown: Wow, this is *definitely* not my cup of tea - it reminds me of scented garbage bags. There's this weird burnt-plasticky scent clinging to my skin, and a layer of sharp, generic floral perfume sitting on top of it - the overall result is so sharp, it's almost acrid.

 

Overall: Traditional, intensely floral blends don't seem to work very well for me, and this one is, unfortunately, no exception. It started out unpleasant, and didn't morph much beyond a cloying floral sheet pulled over hot erasers. Aside from that tiny glimpse of roses and lilies in the wet stage, I wasn't able to pick out distinct flowers at any point. Not a good scent for my chemistry. 2/5

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Very traditional, lily-based white floral classic perfume-y, with a strong clean, almost soapy scent. The florals hit HARD.

 

Wet: More floral, but also soapier. Crazy strong throw! I amp all florals usually but especially lilies, it seems! No rose yet. I'm betting the ghostly mist is moonflower and/or tuberose as those go to instant soap on me.

 

Dry: The rose is peeking through, but only the barest little bit. But so did some powder; this is weird, it's a bit less soapy, as if some of the soap turned to powder. Which makes me really think tuberose as that's exactly what it does on my skin.

 

Summary: It doesn't last for that long, which is good because the lily-tuberose powdery soap thing was making me eye the faucet

[savage_rose]

This one smells like soft lily with a hint of rose and something faintly lemony...lemongrass? Very soothing and lovely. It smells like warm, Summery afternoons, and shadows thrown by high sun in a hazy, hazy heat. So pretty and soothing!

[XShear]

A very somber bouquet of flowers. Great soft scent, but very overpowering at first. Florals lovers would love this scent. However, I'm not a floral lover, this one will be swapped.

[grashopper8]

A very soft, feminine floral blend. The rose and the lily balance one another perfectly, as if they're on a fine-tipped fulcrum, and the effect is interesting. I think I am also picking up on faint white musk, and there is something strangely aquatic about this blend, although I can't put a finger on what is creating that quality.

 

I wouldn't reach for this to wear because it's not to my taste, but I appreciate it and find it pleasant nonetheless. For pretty, romantic girls.

 

3.8 out of 5

[writergal969]

Ooh...a rose scent that rocks out on me. I <3 it.

 

In the bottle, floral but lightly so, just a hint of soapyness to it from the lily.

 

Wet: Very nice, very light but distinct floral with a hint of powder and none of the usual 'acidic rose hell' I usually get.

 

Dry: Lily turns it a little too soapy on me, but it's a good, expensive soap smell. Very clean and fresh and light and lovely anyway.

 

4/5--this reminds me of an innocent, 'church' perfume. Light, airy, perfect for summer and so shocked that the rose didn't turn into horrible, horrible smelly acid on me.

[LyndaM]

Solemn, formal lily with a touch of rose, as perceived through a light clean mist. This blend is beyond lovely.

 

Very delicate, drying with just a hint of soft powder. I found that it doesn't have much sillage, but lasts for longer than average on my skin.

 

This would be ideal for a light spring/summer scent on appropriate occasions - I think it would be nearly impossible to offend others with this fragrance. Also, it would make a great BPAL gateway for any mainstream, light floral loving friends.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Faintly floral and almost fruity

 

On Application

Dusty rose and lily

 

Dry Down

There is something kind of musky taking the sharpmess of the flowers away from this and making it pleasant enough for me.....until about 20 minutes in the drydown and the lily takes over and makes it all horrible high floral.

 

Rating (0-5)

1.5