The House

[sookster]

Shaking off from my spirit what must have been a dream, I scanned more narrowly the real aspect of the building. Its principal feature seemed to be that of an excessive antiquity. The discoloration of ages had been great. Minute fungi overspread the whole exterior, hanging in a fine tangled web-work from the eaves. Yet all this was apart from any extraordinary dilapidation. No portion of the masonry had fAllan; and there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between its still perfect adaptation of parts, and the crumbling condition of the individual stones. In this there was much that reminded me of the specious totality of old wood-work which has rotted for long years in some neglected vault, with no disturbance from the breath of the external air. Beyond this indication of extensive decay, however, the fabric gave little token of instability. Perhaps the eye of a scrutinising observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn.

Noticing these things, I rode over a short causeway to the house. A servant in waiting took my horse, and I entered the Gothic archway of the hall. A valet, of stealthy step, thence conducted me, in silence, through many dark and intricate passages in my progress to the studio of his master. Much that I encountered on the way contributed, I know not how, to heighten the vague sentiments of which I have already spoken. While the objects around me -- while the carvings of the ceilings, the sombre tapestries of the walls, the ebon blackness of the floors, and the phantasmagoric armorial trophies which rattled as I strode, were but matters to which, or to such as which, I had been accustomed from my infancy -- while I hesitated not to acknowledge how familiar was all this -- I still wondered to find how unfamiliar were the fancies which ordinary images were stirring up. On one of the staircases, I met the physician of the family. His countenance, I thought, wore a mingled expression of low cunning and perplexity. He accosted me with trepidation and passed on. The valet now threw open a door and ushered me into the presence of his master.

Rotted ebony wood, faded incense, moldy earth, creeping moss, and blighted roses.

straight sniff from bottle is freshly turned earth and roses...

once applied the incense amps up and this has an almost cologne-like feel to it...

that stage passes very quickly and the moss and rose are just glorious; there
is this great wood note as well...the earthiness is fairly understated...

super strong sillage...literally, a dab'll do ya behind each ear and having you
smiling like the cheshire cat in no time...a winner

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

sniffed from the bottle: reminds me a bit of Zombi - wet dirt and roses.

 

on skin: the dirt gets richer and i guess it is the "rotting ebony wood" that adds another deep, earthy note...and i get a green scent that's almost grassy but not quite (moss?) and there's a note of floral that's not like OMG ROSES but a gentle floral - more like a lily or Destroying Angel than a red, red rose.

will have a place of honour, i think, between my Graveyard Dirt and my The Premature Burial.

this is gorgeous, and i need several more bottles before it goes away!

[hipslike___cinderella]

Initially, I had claimed this as a musty, rotting wood scent. After taking a day away and then testing it twice, I looked back over my first notes and thought, "Really?". The second time around I decided The House was much more floral. I think the proper assertion would be the best of both worlds.

 

First of all, I think The House falls perfectly with this year's Haunted House scents, right between The Forbidding Foyer and The Ghastly Garden. "Moss" is the predominant note to me at first, and the earth note is the prettiest earth note I've smelled; not a scream of "DIRT". This is rather light on my skin, too. Only then do I get the blighted roses. A little strong at first, but even out to light, white roses. While I do enjoy this transition, I'm kind of sad that for so long this starts to smell like a rose single-note (yeah, I love rose, but I also love complexity).

 

I find my favorite part of The House is the fade-out. It's everything I want in a dirt-wood-flower blend. It's this skin-light floral, almost musk smell, like the smell of skin after being out in a flower garden all day. So pretty.

[blu°]

This was the one blend from the oils new at Dark Delicacies that was an immediate must-have. Roses, moss, dirt, incense... For a lover of Zombi, Thanatos and Rose Cross there was no way to not want this.

 

So, when I today got my package from GRR's will call pick up, this was on my wrists in no time.

 

First, from the bottle, there's slightly sour roses. A rose different from Zombi, or maybe it's the woods mixing into it.

 

It's really predominantly rose to my nose. As well from the bottle as fresh on my skin.

 

Very similar to Zombi, but with a more stately, more refined and elegant thing going on due to the ebony wood. I'd say it's slightly more masculine than Zombi maybe, not that either one of these were very gender specific, but this would just be a tad more wearable for a man IMO.

 

Something in the wood/rose combo reminds me of Pulcinella and Teresina, something that's just a little bit sour.

 

The rose in this is not a sweet rose, but smells blighted indeed. Withered before the bloom. Very melancholy feel with it.

 

The earth note is lovely, though I don't smell a great difference to the earth note in Zombi...

 

I also cannot comment on the incense or mosses, as The House is mainly about the rose/wood/earth on me.

 

(As an aside note, I'm sitting in an Internet Café trying hard to sniff my wrists without making a fool of myself)

 

For now I think I'll have to wear this a few times more to make up my mind about that wood note. It sure is evocative and makes for a nice take on the roses-moss-dirt theme that I so love in Zombi, but I'm not yet sure if it's something I'll feel comfortable with on the long run.

[medvssa]

This is the most beautiful mix of humid forest (wet wood and moss, clear air) and roses. The earth note is grounding but very understated. It is powerful, has quite a good throw; comforting, although not in an indoor way I must say; bold but somehow contained, introspective, and refined. It has immediately become one of my top favorites.

[edenssixthday]

The House – I can tell at first whiff that this is not a scent I will find myself wearing. It reminds me a lot of Zombie, with its dirt and rose scent. It’s really strong, dank, and earthy and probably wonderful on those who love the dirt and earth scents, but I am not drawn to it myself.

[tinyvulture]

this reminds me a lot of the GC scents Penny Dreadful and Zombi - rich, loamy earth mingled with florals. there’s a sweet incense note that’s really gorgeous. the incense and dirt seem to be competing to be the most dominant note. when the incense is on top, i love it. it’s a dark, mysterious, masculine scent. but then the dirt takes over, and i don’t love it so much. i wish the incense didn’t disappear so quickly, and i wish the scent was stronger overall.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, I smell roses and decay.

 

On my skin, it's earthy, wet moss, and roses - like something dying and growing at the same time.

 

When it dries, it smells like decay - conceptually amazing, but not how I want to smell myself.

[savage_rose]

Don't let the description fool you--this scent is beautiful. I think it's less decay and more...elegant, delicate, melancholy. A woman from a forgotten era waiting for her gentleman caller to arrive, dressed to the nines and sitting on a chaise lounge, glitting and rustling in a pique of pouting melancholy. It's a little sweet and a little emo. A little scornful, a little vulnerable. Very, very nice.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Mmm, I am pleased to have a decant, since I loooove "The Fall of the House of Usher". I'm debating whether I need a bottle of The House to sit beside Usher and Madeline in my BPAL box. The House reminds me a little of Zombi--that crumbled roses and earth basenote. However, there's a lot more going on in the topnotes--incense and wood (cedar?) make it less feminine than the roses would suggest. I don't know if I would wear this often enough to justify a bottle; I'd probably reach for Zombi or Black Rose, both of which have my beloved rose more prominently. I'm really glad to have at least an imp, though.

[yeahbutnobut]

In the imp: like the Forbidden Foyer, but overgrown with moss.
Wet on skin: thick Spanish moss and damp woods with dark, wet soil.
Dry on skin: now I can smell the roses. Yes, this is very similar to Zombi. It's almost like Zombi in the Forbidden Foyer…I smell the thick, swampy scent of moss, very much like Spanish moss, with a rich red rose note, and lots of wet, loamy soil. On top of that is the scent of rotting floorboards with just a tinge of what reminds me of the cognac of Forbidden Foyer, or maybe some incense? it smells just like an abandoned house in a swampy environment, and the swamp has come to reclaim the land the house stands on…it smells very humid, rotting and rather oppressive.
After a while: now this smells a bit sharper, less wet, and I think there may be a light myrrh note to the incense in here, as now it smells like charred wood which is what I get from the light myrrh SN. I also smell more of the wood, which smells less soft and rotted now. it's also not as mossy or earthy. The strongest note now though is the rose-it's a powerful, perfumed and rich rose, reminiscent of the one in Whip. Yet there's something old and bitter about this scent, aged and dusty and forgotten, but also a bit sinister too. It’s rather unsettling. I also fear that one of the notes here will go a little sour on me…the moss here may not be as strong but I think it's turning sour like it did in the Black Swan. This then turns into a slightly wilted rose scent (the moss turning into something vaguely like vase water) with burnt woods. Not sure if I like it much.
It then turns into a thin wilted rose scent with woods at the back and decayed moss.
Verdict: this is nice, but not as wonderful as I expected. It smells very much like Thanatos meets the Forbidden Foyer, actually, but with lots and lots of humid moss added. It evokes an abandoned house in a swampy area, decaying and mouldering, it’s very evocative of abandonment and rot, but with a melancholy note of wilted rose. I was hoping for more incense though, and the drydown is a little bit too much like stagnant water and sour roses for me. I prefer the dry rot of Forbidding Foyer when it comes to smelling like decaying wood. And I prefer Madeline, which is similar. I’m glad I tried it though-it certainly feels atmospheric and oppressive.
Emoticon rating:
Is it a keeper? Not really.
If you like this, try: Forbidden Foyer, Zombi, Thanatos, Bayou, Madeline, Parlement of Foules

[Blood onmy hands]

The House is a rather sour scent on my skin, and it reminded me a lot of a more floral Bayou, with a light sprinkling of dirt. The moss gives a sour, humid/damp, warm sort of impression that I actually like, though I do find it difficult to wear. It smells swampy. I also get an impression of musty, damp woods. There's a soft sprinkling (almost dusty on my skin) of earth note that stays lightly in the background. Over time, I get more rose. It's a bit perfumey and bold, but it does go a little sour on my skin, perhaps thanks to the other notes.

 

Overall, I'd say that this is a swampy rose. It always smells a bit damp and sour on me. I appreciate these sorts of blends, but I don't think I'd wear this much.

[eatingthesea]

i get what one reviewer says when the house is cologne-like. it does have a bit of that dry. when it's wet on my skin, i get lotsss of yummy soil tinged with a greenish floral, which i assume is them "blighted roses." this is not like my beloved nosferatu or penny dreadful, which both remain creamy dirt scents throughout. i think it's the wood and incense that gives this one its bite, its sharpness. it's certainly not a soft scent. although i wish the floral note was fixed through the dryout period, i still rank the house up there with my other cherished dirty scents (though of this series, the premature burial is favored), and this bottle will be treasured.

Edited March 3, 2008 by eatingthesea

[waternight]

In the bottle: Mmmm.... moist, rotting wood, moist and moldy and earthy. Amazing.

Wet: Wow - now it's barely there. It's VERY faint. Same as in the bottle, but fainter and with a bit more rose and incense. The rose gently amps - but not crazily - and the mold and rot are gentler. But the earth note is still moist and mildewy and awesome.

Dry: This is like a softer, gentler Zombie.

[TrueStar]

I put this in my oil burner in the living room. It made its presence known around the house very quickly. It's powerful and sharp. The wood and incense are prominent with a bit of rose to back it up. When my fiance walked in, he said the house smelled like a ladies dressing room, but he likes it. Not an everyday scent for me, but nice.

[angelicruin]

In the bottle, I can immediately smell the moss and mold with a hint of sweetness.

 

Wet on the skin, the incense comes to the forefront.

 

As it dries, I can smell every single note....I love this scent, almost as much as The Chilling Cellar. It's very melancholy and rich. Perfect for the Halloween season.

[zankoku_zen]

This one was so interesting. It had a very masculine vibe (I think it was the moss and the wood combination) and smelled like an old house with lots of green. It had a somewhat dusty, somewhat rotting quality to it.

 

Best part? No roses.

 

Just a bachelor's house, older than it should be, and basically collapsing on itself. Regal in its despair.

[tragedy]

This smelled promising in the bottle, I could smell the rotting wood and roses, it did remind me of zombi till it hit my skin, then it was all downhill... it turns masculine on me. Not just masculine, I can wear things that are considered masculine, but like "old mens church smell" masculine. I want to give this to hubby to try, but I waver, because if his chemistry turns it the same way mine did, I'm not going to want him anywhere near me.

maybe I should stay away from the wood scents.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Soil, incense, musty moss, rotten wood, and rose. It matches the description perfectly.

 

Wet: Much more rose, with a fresher green note from the moss, and lots more ebony wood. The incense is a little spicy, and the soil note is much lighter. Overall more pleasant.

 

Dry: Soooo musty (must be spanish moss), with dusty old stale incense, and super soap rose - still some nicer rose and ebony notes, but overall this is so decrepit & elderly.

 

Summary: ROSE completely amps and takes over - with only faint hints of the dirt, musty moss, and (quite nice, sort of polished) ebony wood. Insane throw &longevity.

 

[themeaningofV]

I was very generously frimped a decant of this from joyfulgirl, and wow, this is ASTOUNDING.

 

I sniffed it when I was nowhere near a note list, so at first I thought I was getting wine. When I put it on, it absolutely BLOSSOMED into a gorgeous mix of roses, Spanish moss, and earth - I fell in love with the Lab's earth notes from the moment I tried on Nosferatu, and I always jump at the chance to try it again.

 

It remains an elegant, refined, almost mournful scent and ends as dust a few hours later. A wonderful experience.

[Lucretia]

This is now my favorite rose scent of all time. The roses are muted by the earth and moss and the whole thing takes on a bit of a damp, sad, old dusty rose smell. Sometimes roses can smell too sweet or sharp on me, but this is perfect. Zombi never worked on me, but this one is magic with my chemistry. So glad I was able to swap for a bottle of this.

[LizziesLuck]

Oh my gosh I love this so much!

 

I hoped there would be some similarity to Zombi, which there is. But I have to say, this is better. The most gorgeous roses, and somehow the smell of decay without being disgusting. I had figured I would wear this to bed, I expected I would like it, but that it wouldn't be something I could get away with wearing in public. I love it so much that I don't care! I will wear it to bed, but I will also wear it wherever else I please!! LOVE!!