Judith and Holofernes

[rivki8699]

 

Skin musk, honey, carnation, French magnolia, patchouli, sandalwood, and immortelle.

 

I apologize for being so hopeless at scent description.

 

Wet, the most prominent note is sweetness, I believe it's the honey, with a hint of the magnolia.

 

As it dries, the skin musk becomes more prominent and the carnation starts to bloom. The scent becomes somewhat earthier. The carnation fades quickly.

 

I like it, but I'm not sure I love it. I think I'm going to give it some time to age. I hope the carnation will become more prominent with time, because I think this would be a knockout with more carnation.

[ND¢]

What is actually honey I took for an almost-cocoa smell-- rich but dusty almost, then tending to sweet. On reflection the sweetness is very reminiscent to me of the magnolia-sweet musk in Trick #1! I would buy it on that basis alone but YMMV. Hope someone else can confirm this association-- some of the notes are similar, yes?

[feralstrumpet]

The amazing stutefish sent me a bottle of Judith & Holofernes. When I asked her how it seemed when she first smelled it, she said it was like it slapped her. And this of course piqued my curiosity further.

 

When the postman brought the box up the stairs of my building, I knew what he had in that box before he even handed it to me-- already the scent had filled the hallway with some exotic, dark incense.

 

At first when I opened the bottle I thought-- whoa-- this is a smell you're never ready for-- something medicinal, pre-operative. And then of course, before I could even strategize how I might apply it and break it in slowly, I spill a big droplet on myself. I'm sticky with this smell that's at once exactly like the description of "skin musk and honey" but not a sweet honey-- rather the brittle, earthy halo of honey-- the taste beyond the sweet. And the skin musk-- well, it's like I smell like someone else, it's like the Witness Protection Program in some animal universe where we sniff to know. It's like the base-me smell, but bigger, brasher. I wish I still had dreads because this would have smelled good on them.

 

But then it morphs into a molasses scent, and then the carnation comes out and the scent outgrows me-- I think this is how I might smell in 10 or 20 years, not so much ripe as hardened. There's this steely note that comes out that I associate with fancy-yet-no-nonsense perfume-- something an expensive divorce lawyer might wear. Maybe it's the carnation? Florals and I don't generally get along. And then for a moment I smell just like molasses cookies.

 

Hours later it stops the big show and the baking-- sheaths its sword and congeals into something very human-- it's a cave-dweller scent-- the patchouli, sandalwood and musk hanging around in the dark. I have now tried to wear it in small droplets in various places all over my body to minimize the "throw"-- I find when my skin starts to absorb it I crave it-- the whole wild trajectory of it drying on me.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is a watery, sweet patchouli note...

 

once applied this gets smoky and aquatic...huh?

 

unfortunately i cannot seem to pick out any single note except for maybe the musk...

 

ah well...ya win some, ya lose some...just not my cup of tea...

[dronzeka]

Okay, I'm not sure why I bought this, because patchouli doesn't usually like me at all... but strangely enough, it kind of almost works here! In the imp I get a lot of patchouli and think, yuck, oh well, not a surprise. But on it's much nicer! Something about the carnation and honey and musk is combining to really smoothen and mellow out the patchouli, and I can almost see why people would like it. (Sorry, that's such a ringing endorsement! ) It's warm and deep and strong and maybe just a little bit angry. Like all the Salons, it's very complex and well-blended - it's hard to distinguish any of the notes, really; the spiciness of the carnation and the woodiness of the sandalwood are melding together to fill in the rough edges of the patchouli. Anyway, I'm not sure that it's precisely me, but it's intriguing - may have to try it again before I decide its ultimate fate...

[The_Witching_Hour]

HOLY SMOKES. I'm shocked to the NTH degree for several notes/reasons!!

 

Patchouli and Skin Musk are forerunners in the beginning and for once in my BPAL career, honeycomb (or beeswax, honey, honey soaked peaches, honey drenched SUNSHINE for Christ's sake! Are you getting the picture/feeling that honey of any sort ruins a scent at some point for me???) doesn't come screaching out at me with a vengeance!

 

Carnation (oooo....I LOVE *you*, Carnation!) makes a brief appearance and settles this blend of Patchouli and Skin Musk closer to the skin. GAH.....this is such a fucking sexy blend! Yes, it *did* get me laid 2 days ago(!)

 

Another 'come hither' scent that marks itself a firm bottle spot in my collection!

[tartchef]

Mmm, huminahumina... I'm not surprised that someone got lucky wearing J&H... It's like Hod's sexy cousin - that same honeyed cream & carnation base, but with a veil of light incense & the tiniest dab of magnolia. I get just a hint of patchouli, just enough to deepen things a bit. This is subtle, but really compelling - if you wore it to a party, people would want to lean in a bit closer... Unfortunately, it's a fast fader on me, lasting barely 2 hours. I blame some of that on dry skin & cold weather - this is worth resurrecting in the spring to see if a bit of warmth & humidity helps it linger...

[LadyMedb]

Hmmm....this one smells a lot like an expensive mixed drink on me. It could be the magnolia making it kind of sharp (the carnation is especially dry), combined with the sweetness of the honey. This is a pretty and sophisticated blend, but it really doesn't work too well with my chemistry.

Edited December 9, 2007 by LadyMedb

[agnusdei]

On my skin, Judith & Holofernes is almost completely honey carnation yumminess. There's a hint of dry wood from the sandalwood and a bit of magnolia in the floral note, but the prominent fragrance is by far a light and creamy honey and carnation blend. For me the honey here almost has the same quality as it does in White Rabbit, fresh and milky with the smallest touch of something that makes me think 'clean'. I do get some skin musk as well, but it acts as a facet of the carnation and honey, grounding them a bit and making them seem more like an extension of 'me' instead of something I just slathered on my arm.

 

I was hoping J&H would be filled with delicious carnation and that's just what I got! I think it's safe to say I'll be needing a bottle or two of this.

[euterpe414]

What a magnificent, womanly scent!! Judith... starts out with skin musk, honey, magnolia and carnation, very sweet and a bit heady, but in a good way It really calls to mind the scent of a rich, powerful and classic beauty, someone very much like Judith in this painting. Then after a while the darker, earthier notes come into the blend and really darken it up, making it very sultry and sexy. This is definitely a blend that would get you some positive attention! The blend pretty much stays in the 'earthier' stage on my skin for a long while, before it fades and I am with whisps of a sweet honey floral.

[theseagrows]

oh god i love this one! it's definitely the hands down winner of the 6 retail exclusive salons i tried, and also the one i was most excited about. carnation and skin musk are 2 of my absolute favorite notes. as someone else mentioned above, i get a cocoa-y scent from this, which may be the honey. this is blended perfectly, and i cannot make out the patchouli at all, which i good because i don't like strong patchouli. this is a musky-cocoa-y-floral on my skin. the carnation is subtle and the magnolia i can just make out in the back adding a slight sweet floral to the rest of the mix. i must get a bottle of this!

[alicia_stardust]

This starts out smelling like wood dust and patchouli, but on my skin this starts to take on a sultry, honey-like quality with a very light and close skin musk and a side of magnolia. The carnation lends a touch of floral spice but it doesn't take over the blend.

 

Overall this has a sensual but strong quality to it. The florals and musk are hypnotic, the honey is sultry, and the patchouli brings in a strong and earthy quality. The immortelle,almost seems to have a tea-like undertone and a herbal tinge to it. I this blend to be complex yet gestalt.

[Rhowan]

OH! How I love thee Judith and Holofernes!!!

 

It's very funny that as I have reviewed all the Retail Salons, I have been reminded of a GC scent on each one of them. This one included!

 

J & H reminds me of Golden Priapus at first sniff! The sandalwood is coming thru as the primary note to me. It almost smells like fresh cedarwood! Must be the combination of things - including the patchouli.

 

The fresh woody notes do not fade but are joined with something spicy and green. I would have to say it is the immortelle and the carnation. I am not getting the magnolia which is odd for me.

 

Judith and Holofernes does not morph too much on me. It stays fresh cedarwood and spicy greens forever on me! It has a wonderful throw and it lasts a very long time on me! This is a must order for me!

Edited December 13, 2007 by Rhowan

[Bagfish]

J&H is all about creamy skin musk and honey on me. It is very nice indeed, with a little bit of carnation poking through to give a slightly spicy edge. It is very, very sweet too and with very little throw, it stays very close to my skin. I don't get any of the sandalwood or magnolia at all.

 

For those of you who have tried it, J&H is quite similar in feel to Arcana's Queen Crossbones, just slightly more complicated due to the presence of the carnation note.

[astarinel]

Of the retail salons I have tried thus far, this one was the surprise winner for me! I expected it to be nice, given the notes, but I wasn't expecting it to be swoon-worthy.

 

First: Probably my favorite scent, period, is Et Lux Fuit, and in the imp, this has kind of a slightly similar feel to me which is awesome.

 

On my skin, it has a great spicy-golden vibe with the honey and carnation mixing, with a sort of creamy light musky feel in the background. I can't really pick out other notes, but it's very light and has decent throw and staying power. It stayed pretty constant throughout wear, and continued to be, to my nose, somewhat similar to ELF. I love it!

[SarahScent44]

In imp, all I get is patchouli.

 

On my skin, it's more patchouli - *sigh*.

 

Dry, the honey comes out, and the musk - the patchouli has completely disappeared, and there's the slightest hint of sandalwood in the back. I like this much more than I thought I would, but I don't think it's for me.

[dirtytrip]

Awful. Absolutely awful.

 

How is it possible that a note list such as this could yield the fragrance of human pee?

That is the middle note for me, with lovely flowers around it. So, somebody let it go in the garden, basically. How unfortunate.

[Eros]

In the vial- mildew and baby powder. Not good.

 

On skin- Same, with the addition of laundry soap and dryer sheets. Gave me a headache and made me feel queasy within seconds.

 

Oh well, they can't all work, right?

[filigree_shadow]

Well, there's definitely patchouli in here, but it's much drier than patchouli usually is. The carnation gives it a spicy kick like carnation usually does on me. Something in this is making it smell powdery, and I'm not sure what the problem is. I like the scent but I don't like that powder scent. It's a bit too dry and antique-smelling for me.

[Eemia]

This feels very personal and sensual. A deeper fragrance that clings closely, but its still very strong.

 

It's musky and vaguely sweet, almost like sweetened smoke. The skin musk is beautiful and really amps up on my skin. The patchouli is particularly nice in this. It doesn't overwhelm the florals and it has a lovely earthiness. The florals stay completely in the background. I can only really make out the spiciness of the carnation. Overall this has a gorgeous complexity and depth that I am crazy about.

 

This wears well on me without fading quickly. And it drys down without a trace of dustiness or any powdery scent. It stays warm and sultry, retaining that exotic earthiness that I love so much.

[slave1]

JULIA AND HOLOFERNES

 

In Bottle: Dry, sweet and woody

On Skin: The patchouli jumps out right away on me… I’m a little sad since it does seem to amp on me so much and is not my friend. The sandalwood is very dry and woody, giving the scent a powdery feel. The honey is so pretty, and it helps sweeten the other notes, but still is in the background. The skin musk is very light, just a velvet blanket the other notes are resting on. The carnation is a light spicy note and the magnolia is surprisingly light as well, sweet and a just a floral tint. As the scent develops, the honey and skin musk become more pronounced. Absolutely gorgeous… It reminds me of Sed Non Satiata. Yes… completely! And although I hate Judith in the beginning, what she morphs into is drop dead gorgeous and totally bottle worthy. Luckily the morph is pretty quick. Her throw is pretty low though, and her wearlength is short to average. I’d love to make a spray with this and layer it.

[ivyandpeony]

I picked up a bottle of Judith and Holofernes about two months ago at the Whole Foods in my area that is carrying the Salon exclusives. When I tried it at the store, I was a little overwhelmed by the patchouli, which seemed dominant and a little raw-edged. But I love the way that patchouli ages and the other notes in the blend are favorites of mine - so I thought I'd invest in a bottle and see how things progressed after it sat in the dark for a little while.

 

OH! I am so glad that I did! This is sublime. Sweet honey, heady magnolia, spiced up by the patchouli and carnation and held together by the sandalwood. The elements are very nicely balanced and this has the effect of an elegant perfume without seeming overly "perfumy," I think due in part to the way that the Lab's honey and carnation notes are so natural (they smell like honey and carnations, respectively, not honey-scented oil and carnation perfume) and to the patchouli-sandalwood base. This is one of my favorites of all the Salons I have tried.

[Blood onmy hands]

Something in Judith and Holofernes goes powdery on my skin, and I'm not sure what note it is. Perhaps it's the sandalwood, but BPAL's sandalwood doesn't usually turn to baby powder on me. The honey does its odd thing, smelling almost metallic and sour on me for a bit, before settling into a soft, tangy sweetness. I can smell the earthiness of patchouli in the vial, but no patchouli once the oil is on my skin. The skin musk smells like something of a sharper white musk, and I do like that note.

 

In the drydown, this is sultry skin musk, a hint of honey, and a hint of spicy carnation over a base of baby powder. It's subtle on me, on the warmer side of things, and it has a nice hint of sweetness. It's probably too powdery to be a keeper for me though. After an hour on my skin, I can't pick out any notes and am left with a musky, slightly sweet baby powder.

[edenssixthday]

Judith & Holofernes -I kept putting off testing this one because honey and carnation are not exactly my best notes. This morning, I woke up with the word "Holofernes" stuck in my head (and probably pronouncing it wrong in my head) so I figured it meant I should test this blend out today. I am glad I did. It's gorgeous! It's very exotic and has a touch of a Middle Eastern appeal to it. When I first apply it, it's warm, slightly sweet, and woody, but as it warms up on my skin, the dry, spicy, and resinous scent of the patchouli really comes forward and adds a really unique aspect to this scent, without drowning out the other notes. I applied this at 8 a.m. this morning and it's almost 3 p.m. and I can still detect a hint of both honey and patchouli. And for once, the honey smells really good on me. Love it!

[vegasblueblood]

I opened the bottle when I got it and went yum. Honey and carnation are two of my most beloved notes and on me, Judith & Holofernes has lots of both. It is a slighty dusty sweet blend and it's actually hard to pick out the individual notes because it's so well blended. It is quite soft and not overpowering (all the more reason to slather it on!) and it is pretty sophisticated. It actually reminds me a bit of a sweeter Schlafende Baigneuse. Awesome blend and a great painting!

Edited April 3, 2008 by twistedophelia