The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife

[tartchef]

Seaweed, honey, white mint, and ambergris.

Steelxrose's initial thoughts on this mirror mine - wet, Dream of the Fisherman's Wife is an overbearing smack of classic aquatic cologne, very "man-fume". Luckily, this phase burns off in about 10 minutes, and the deliciousness I was hoping for starts to emerge...

For such a fresh, seaside scent, the musky feel of the ambergris & honey are very heavy - the throw is almost exclusively an almost sparkling honey musk. Not cloying, in the least, but very seductive... Up close, I get just a trace of the mint & seaweed, enough to add a coolness to what would otherwise be a very warm scent. That frisson is the genius here - that friction between the down-&-dirty honey musk & the fresh breeze gliding over the top.

This is actually very similar to the Darkling Thrush, in my mind - in that same quiet, warm-&-cool family... just beautiful. I highly recommend Dream of the Fisherman's Wife if you've had previous trouble with aquatics - I usually get nothing but Ocean Fresh laundry detergent, so this is a very welcome surprise. If you loved Selkie, give this a shot, as well...

[yeahbutnobut]

The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife

 

In the imp: honeyed sandalwood incense and murky aquatics? This smells so intriguing!

Wet on skin: incense and flowers? I have no idea why I smell those in here.

Dry on skin: now this smells really perfumey but also like sandalwood incense and honey. It reminds me of the honeyed dark sandalwood incense in the Masque, believe it or not. But I also smell something heady and floral, or even musky. And lots of ambergris too, which is a much stronger ambergris note than usual, and it smells like expensive perfume in here, like something my mum would wear! I also smell the scent of aquatic notes, seaweed and a bit more…I smell salt and a bit of the sophisticated aquatic note that was in City in the Sea. I don’t smell any mint.

After a while: still perfumey and rich. I really like this one because it smells very grown up and sophisticated now, and rather sexy, I must say. The honey smells like dark honey incense. There’s definitely more to this than seaweed, honey and ambergris…I swear there’s a musk note, reminiscent of Arabian musk (or is it Egyptian musk) in here. And something floral too. Either that or the ambergris in here is particularly strong. There’s a salty and fresh overtone to it, an aquatic note that isn’t soapy but deep and mature, almost like an expensive sun lotion scent, with a hint of the scent of the beach. I’m surprised as to how much this smells like an exotic-themed high-end perfume, but with a hint of something marine to it.

Call me crazy, but the drydown smells very similar to Arcana’s Queen Crossbones! Yes! that honeyed exotic musk scent! Only in here there’s seaweed instead of coconut.

Verdict: this scent was not what I expected at all. I had no idea what a honeyed aquatic would smell like on me. there’s honey in here, oh yes. there’s some seaweed, though it’s more of a sea scent as a whole. And I do smell ambergris, lots of that, and it’s a lot more amber-y than usual. But I wasn’t expecting this to smell like ‘oriental’ perfume, of all things…but it does. I smell sensual musk (or something like it) undulating through this scent, mixed with sandalwood incense and spices, mingling effortlessly with the honey and the sea notes. It smells a bit like the Masque, but with a marine feel to it. It’s a really unusual scent but it works. It smells grown up and classy, and very sexy. It makes me think of a mermaid belly dancer (that’s the best way I can describe this). It does smell a bit too perfumey for me at times (I think that’s the sea note-but it’s one of the nicest sea notes in BPAL) and it reminds me so much of Arcana’s Queen Crossbones at drydown which I prefer. But I am definitely keeping my decant of this wonderfully different take on the aquatic theme.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Just the decant for now. This is really unusual.

If you like this, try: The Masque, O, Sea of Glass, Aeaea, Skuld

Edited March 7, 2008 by yeahbutnobut

[maribouquet]

imp: cologne!

wet: soapy cologne

 

Oh, oh, this is worrisome, but as it dries I start to smell the honey and a bit of mint...

 

Even dry the seaweed is dominant on me and it just smells icky with my skin.

[azhriaz]

I've always loved this painting so I was hoping to love the scent as well, but it's not really doing much for me. It's a light aquatic with a very subtle mint undertone. I'm not getting any overt honey, which is fine because I like the idea of honey but not the reality.

 

It's a lovely, subtle aquatic scent but not distinctive enough to tempt me into a bottle.

[SeaLady]

I was really hoping I'd need a bottle of this, but I don't think I do. No seaweed or salty ocean here.

 

It starts out as a sharp aquatic, which I like in small doses.

After it dries down, when I sniff my wrist it smells aquatic and a little smutty in an abstract way. It's getting sweeter, and I like that.

From afar, I hate to say it, but I've been getting whiffs of a dog-shampoo kind of scent.

 

I'll try this more, but so far I don't think it gets along well with my skin. Maybe it's just because I'm at home with two wet dogs that I'm getting that association, so I will persevere and try again!

[grimms_creed]

In the imp: a sultry sweet exotic aroma, but definitely aquatic.

 

On me: Within seconds, this turned into Dove soap. and after 3 hours, it was still soap. The Mock Turtle's Lesson did the exact same thing to me, only that one didn't smell as delightful in the imp, so the let down was less. This one goes to the swap pile, for someone whose skin doesn't hate the ocean....

[the_cat_goddess]

In the vial: Oooohhhh, pretty! I can smell each of the notes separately and they nicely compliment each other.

 

Wet: Everything is blending together now. This is very strong and is smelling more commercial. It's very interesting how the mint note is there but doesn't smell like mint until I try to isolate it. It's smells like how I wish my shampoo would smell. Definitely sea worthy. I don't get honey...

 

Dry: The seaweed smell is really strong. I just figured out what it reminds me of: Lush's Aqua Marina, which is scented with sweet orange oil and patchouli and is wrapped up in seaweed.

 

20 mins later: Still going STRONG.... Not morphing

[Hayet]

Here's an aquatic that really speaks to me, where the others I've tried leave me cold and thinking "eew dryer sheets". I'm not sure what it's saying, other than "buy me NOW" but WOW, it's lovely. How can I pass up the lusty octopus? I was so not expecting to like this one, but I think it might be my favorite of the NIFSA blends.

[Jilara]

I was expecting briney, something with a distinct sea-tang, but this is soft and lovely.

 

Wet, it's a musky aquatic. I almost feel a floral lurking in here.

 

Drying down, the ambergris really comes out, and there is a very sweet note behind it. Somewhere in that sweetness, the mint blends in. I'm not sure about the seaweed. I don't get a seaweed note that I can identify at all. And I know seaweeds of all sorts, having done a research project on seaweed in college. This is just soft and sweet and gorgeous, completely not what I was expecting.

[isyche]

I'm always tempted by the awesome descriptions of the aquatic/ocean scents and then most of them don't work on me. Sadly, the Fisherman's Wife was no exception. Seaweed, mint and honey sounded interesting, but all I got was that strong aquatic cologne/soap scent from it. Ah well.

Edited March 11, 2008 by isyche

[zankoku_zen]

I am starting to suspect that me and honey don't get along - because this is a honey ambergris mess on me. The fumey male cologne stage on wet, seems to intensify on me on dry.

 

 

I so wanted it to work out on us.

[eatingthesea]

mm, this is very nice. i wasn't too fond of the wet stage/whiff from the decant, it seemed too cologne-y for my tastes, but this dries down beautifully. i think this is the first scent in which i can really discern the characteristics of ambergris. and i do believe i like this element; i'm glad to finally make the determination, as i was iffy before. anyway, dry this is mostly honey and ambergris. it doesn't really have the "bite" of mint as i'd hoped (a good, obviously ambergris/mint combo is the GC scent cathode -- but this scent is far sweeter) but that's okay. i was just about to say this is definitely an aquatic scent yet its muskiness sets it apart from most aquatics, when i noticed a recent reviewer calling it a "musky aquatic"! so yes, that is definitely its classification, imo. the seaweed bit kinda sits in the background, which i'm glad about, as i'm not entirely sure i want to smell like a strangled mermaid, and this is just altogether a gorgeous, highly individual scent that really evokes the painting. i think the "mint" part symbolizes the dream world, honey the lustiness. nice and engaging. very long-lasting! i have yet to figure out whether i'll go for a big bottle because i'm not sure this is "me," but i sure appreciate it wholeheartedly as an art piece, and it's given me pause to reflect upon ambergris, which i never cared about previously

[Blood onmy hands]

In the bottle, this is a blast of clean, sharp, slightly salty aquatic with a deep chill to it. It smells so deep and cold that it's actually a bit spooky, like being stranded out in the neverending ocean, surrounded by freezing water and clueless as to how deep it really is.

 

I wish that it were as amazing on my skin as it is in the bottle. On me, it starts going soapy and soon winds up smelling like men's shaving cream with a hint of sweet honey.

 

This is the most heartbreaking of the Lupercalia themed LEs for me. I wish that the beautiful, deep, chilly aquatic survived through my skin chemistry, but it just gets twisted into cheap soap and honey

[hepkitten]

Sooooo very sexy. It's a sultry, sensual aquatic, which I never would have thought possible. All hail Beth!!!

[SarahScent44]

In imp, I get the salty hit of the seaweed, sweetened by the honey.

 

On my skin, the seaweed is still the most prominent - it's backed up by the ambergris.

 

When it dries, it's great - I love this combination of seaweed and honey, backed up by the ambergris. I get no mint at all, oddly. But it's unexpected, but beautiful - an offbeat and intriguing scent. I'll be getting a bottle!

[angelicdemise]

Wet, I can smell the honey and mint.

On the dry-down the seaweed seems to soften it and blend it all together. The honey reminds me of Hony Mone, just softer.

Later on, I love it! It has a sweet musk, and is sexy but not overpowering. If the three Novel Ideas oils that I've tried so far this is by far my favorite!

[arabella]

First Impression: Diluted honey.

 

Dries down to: Watery, minty honey.

 

Additional Comments: Honey doesn't usually work well with my skin but it's nicely controlled in this blend. The seaweed adds an interesting dimension here. I wouldn't get a bottle but I'll definitely keep the imp.

 

Lasted: Most of the day.

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

[binaryfaerie]

This one smells like a clean, cool sea breeze to me, with a hint of honey to sweeten it up. The honey comes out more and more the longer I wear it. Sweet and refreshing.

[savage_rose]

This is the craziest, morphingest scent I think I've ever tried. First it smells clean, fresh, a little ozoney. Then...it becomes laundry soap. Lady of Shallott-eqsue laundry soap, dry, dusty, and crystalline faux-floral. Then this sort of sexy spiciness starts peeking through...so it's basically crazy dorm laundry room sex, all sexy danger and laundry soap and many, many washers and dryers spinning as one.

 

Insane!

[Rovylern]

In the imp: This is an exact dupe for Zest soap! And it's strong, too.

 

Wet: This is an eye opener. It still has that Zest soap smell, and if I sniff it too closely it makes my eyes water.

 

Drydown: That strong soap smell never really leaves. I might wear this if I was dragging and had to wake myself up, but I can't picture myself reaching for this very often. I may try it on my SO to see if it smells better on him.

[penemuel]

Green and wet and very, very wet at that. Yet another mint that vanishes entirely. I'm sure it's supposed to be there, but for some reason it's just invisible. Why does my skin do this with mint? I like mint!

 

It seems to go a bit cologney on me -- must be the ambergris. I was so hoping it would be a wonderful dark green mint, but *sigh* it has turned into soggy cologne. Darn those pervy octopi, I love the tentacle porn but don't really like either scent.

 

Okay, after a little while this has calmed down a bit -- I think the honey is finally coming out. It's actually very pleasant now, but still not bottle-worthy. I still want the mint, and the mint is nowhere to be found.

Edited March 21, 2008 by penemuel

[CiCi]

Right out of the bottle, this smells very cologne-y. At first I thought it might be too masculine. But after wearing it for a bit, the clean, aquatic masculine scent wears off and it becomes sweet and transparent and sheer. This is a perfect light summer scent.

[enderfem]

Imp:Minty oceany goodness. It really smells like someone eating mint candies near the ocean. I like it.

 

Wet: Still minty, but in danger of being minty soap. A bit of the ocean smell is still there.

 

Drydown: Very pretty minty soap. Swapping it.

[skittisheclipse]

In the imp, I love smelling the white mint and seaweed in this, but on my skin I got a very plasticky impression, which doesn't really attract me. It takes some time for the ambergris to pleasantly fuzz up and the honey to start sweetening things, which is when the scent starts to get more pleasant for me.

 

Two days later I can still smell a lingering fresh sweetness on my test wrist, though, which I do like. Unfortunately, the dry down prevents it from being a true love.

[persianmouse]

The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife- This smells like the kind of perfume an octopus might buy a girl to try to woo her over, right before all the horrible tentacle rape. The ambergris is the most powerful note, but there's something summer-at-the-seaside-y about it. All in all, Enraged Tentacle Musk doesn't smell too bad.