The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife

[windbourne]

Seaweed, honey, white mint, and ambergris.

Uncommonly sexy. One might even say unexpectedly so. Extremely unexpectedly so. ...really.

I got an imp of this more out of a sense of wanting to be able to say I'd tested out all the Shunga scents. I have no particular draw towards aquatics, but I do like honey, so it was with a sense of novelty that I popped the lid open. I didn't like it at first. Too greenly oceanic, too salty, too sour -- but I kept huffing it, as the honey slowly crept forth, and the ambergris oozed out of hiding. (I have never gotten mint directly from this blend. It's there, but it's entirely to keep the rest of it from getting too saucy. It sharpens it a little, like rocks at the beach.)

Dry on my skin, it amps to high heaven, throwing its weight around like few other scents do on my skin. It's slow and sexy and really...um...almost inappropriate? I'd really hesitate to wear this to, say, an office party. (Unless my intention were to find someone to pull into a closet and -- yeah. Inappropriate.)

As it dries, the it's all salt and honey and dark, grim amber -- it's a very murky scent, the sort that drags you under without asking first.

It lasts approximately forever and a half hour, throws like a major league pitcher, and is completely distracting. I'm keeping the imp, and will be heavily tempted to seek out a bottle. Not too tempted, though, despite its best attempts to lure me in. There aren't too many places I'd want to wear this to.

It also opened my mind to the idea that aquatics could be good. Edited May 13, 2008 by windbourne

[martiangurll]

Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, The

 

Preconceived notions: (Notes-ambergris, mint, honey, seaweed) I have been on an ambergris kick lately, and since this has honey too, I should love it--but I am wondering how the combination will work. Eyeing the mint and hoping its not the note of doom! On a related topic, I absolutely love the bottle art. Would you think me perverted if I insinuated I was contemplating going down to the Fish Store and buying the largest octopus they have ?

 

In imp: salty water aquatic-love (think Thalassa with a powdery ambergris twist).

 

Wet on flesh: Retains its's saltwater tone with the ambergris supporting and making it seem oddly dry and aquatic at the same time. I would compare the sensation to smelling dried driftwood that smells of the ocean due to prolonged contact. Its really lovely. The mint is present but barely.

 

Drydown: I am agreeing with all the reviews that describe the ambergris dominating. It gives it a musky dry scent that is not too powdery in the least, its undescribably wonderful. The saltiness adds a layer of complexity. I am not sure if this is due to a variation in my imp (therefore, YMMV), but the honey note isn't really noticable for me, unless its presence is what adds a slight (and I do mean slight) sweetness to the blend. This was never sharp or ozoney on me, as it was for some reviewers. The mint really disappears for me in the drydown, which was good for me.

 

Overall Impression: I loved this because it captured the saltiness of the ocean and the ambergris adds a sexuality to the blend that I found amazing. As usual, the imagery of the painting and the impression of the blend are sublimely similar. It’s musky and salty (maybe that's the seaweed) with a hint of mint initially that restrains itself and doesn't amp (thank you note of doom for restraining yourself). The honey doesn’t really develop, so if you are a honey lover like me, you maybe slightly disappointed. To be honest, I wasn't sure how all of the notes would work, but they meld beautifully. I was pleasantly surprised, as I expected a honey blend and this was more aquatic, but salty ocean aquatic. I really liked it. I guess Harikata will have to be my Shunga honey blend. This is for me the perfect aquatic and I will be stalking down a big bottle, maybe more!

 

 

Afterword: I wasn't really getting as much throw from this as I wanted, so I did what I do when I want the effect of a scent locket but I am too cheap to shell out for an actual scent locket and am too disorganized to wear one--I sprinkled it in my hair. Throw was much better--I get whiffs of it through the day and it smelled more sweet. Plus I know from experience this will increase the wearlength!

Edited May 22, 2008 by martiangurll

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Soapy honey

 

Wet on me – Washing powder detergent

 

Dry on me – A sharp floral sort of honey that sits close to the skin

 

Overall – The dry down may as well be a honey single note and the wet stages are very astringent, so not for me

[lainevierge]

This is a nice light summer scent. I love the mix of the honey and mint, and none of the notes are cloying or heavy. I only have my decant, but I reach for it when I know I'll be spending a lot of time outside.

[motdakasha]

In the bottle:

Rating: 5

Notes: mint, seaweed, ambergris

Comment: Very smooth blend.

Wet on skin:

Rating: 5

Notes: seaweed, ambergris

Comment: Aquatic-ish!

Dry on skin:

Rating: 5

Notes: honey, ambergris, seaweed

Scent Intensity: 4-5

Comment: Very long lasting, sweet honey scent.

Misc:

Duration: +5 Hrs.

Keyword(s): aquatic honey

Color: N/A

Smells like: Underwater beehive

Edited July 2, 2008 by Akasha Tsang
Removed Lab description --Shollin

[gchris]

In Vial: Perfumey with a hint of mint.

 

Wet: This is very perfumey, more so than I expected given the notes.

 

Dry: I have realized it is the honey in this that is bothering me as it usual does in all blends. I love the mint, ambergis and seaweed. They blend perfectly together, but the honey in this kills it for me.

[n3m3sis42]

My husband bought me this blend after I asked him to get me some of the Novel Ideas blends as a birthday present. I picked a few (Glowing Vulva, Men Ringing Bell With Penises, and I think Harikata) and asked him to pick whatever else sounded good to him. Anyway, I was a little concerned about this blend, mainly because I cannot STAND most aquatics. To me, they all smell like that ocean-inspired body spray that everyone used to use back in the '90s when I was in college. I will never understand why people feel the need to BATHE in that stuff, but I digress.

 

The strange thing is that this blend doesn't really smell at all aquatic on me. Well, it does wet, but not strongly, and normally ANY aquatic smell is a turn-off for me. On me, this dries down to a musky, sort of woody honey scent. I can't figure out what other blend it reminds me of, but it does remind me of another blend.

 

I like it, although I'll have to try it again later because it's a day or two before that time of the month and so who knows if my results are typical?

[Phaedra]

Wet this is honey and something soft and powdery. I think that's the ambergris. When first on this is a crisp aquatic scent with some warmth in the background. After a few minutes the aquatic note softens and the honey starts to develop more. I also get a hint of mint at this stage. After a couple of hours this is very soft and creamy. This dries down to a very soft, creamy, close to the skin honey scent. This is gorgeous!!! I'm so glad I got a bottle of this one.

[forspecial_plate]

Too much honey. : / Big wood note at first, but then honey took over. (not sure where the wood came from, how odd...)

[mhickle]

Yeah, so I know it's not on the list of notes, but I swear some ginger hopped into the bottle when nobody was looking. And I'm glad it did!

 

In the bottle, it smells like someone pulled some ginger out of the ocean, shaking off the sea salt. It's blue and deep but sharply ginger. Maybe it's just my nose!

 

On my skin, still ginger. It's mellow, though, tinged with honey, and still very much of the ocean. I'm not getting much mint beyond a slight cooling feel to it. The ginger doesn't last long -- the sharp edge is lost and it's just a sweet, gorgeous aquatic.

 

I absolutely love it, though - this will be one of my go-to scents, no question.

Edited August 12, 2008 by ViolaVanWilde

[Jia_Mekare]

Why haven't I reviewed this yet?

 

This scent doesn't change much on me from bottle to skin to drydown. Oddly enough, this is the most traditional-perfume scent that I own from BPAL, being heavy and, well, thick almost, to my nose. Sweetened ambergris is all I really get. It's a keeper, for those times for when I want to feel old-school female.

[Hawke]

Honey is the topnote with a hint of mint beneath, in the imp.

 

On the skin, wet, the mint gets a serious boost and invades my sinuses (and eyes, holy wow) with its strength. This is bright and eye-watering, but not quite crisp. I think the honey is keeping the true sharpness of a very powerful mint at bay. Of course, something is also lending it a floralesque edge. I don't know if that's the seaweed or the ambergris or some combination, but it's very strong as well.

 

Once the mint settles down, it's a pleasant sort of honeyed mint--I once had a candycane that was made with honey instead of sugar and it smelled distinctly "different". I get the same sort of scent from Fisherman's Wife at this stage. It's missing only a clear tea note to make me think of a glass of something iced.

 

And that's where it settles. No longer attacking my sinuses or being otherwise offensive. I'll keep the decant I have because I am a sucker for mint and near-tea scents. I don't need a bottle of this, fortunately, but I like what I've got.

[stillalive]

something in this is doing almost exactly the same gross weird metamorphosis on me that Gelt did... wish I knew what that was all about. =/ I'll give it another try later.

[Dracoo9]

All I can really pick out is the ambergris for certain. I might be smelling the seaweed note but I really dont want to try and find what notes I can pick out...I kinda just wanted to wash it off. Its deffinently unique but deffenently not something I'd wear 2/5

[freneticfloetry]

I grabbed a bottle of No. 93 Engine from someone's sale, and tacked on Dream of the Fisherman's Wife just for the hell of it. I was on BPAL hiatus during the first round of Shungas and had no clue what it was, just that the name sounded intriguing. Totally the best move ever.

 

In the imp: Technically I could smell it in the package, before I ever opened the imp. Holy honeyed seaweed, Batman. It's an intriguing scent that's kind of hard to describe - sweet but not cloying or creamy, grounded in something aquatic, with a powdery note beneath that can only be the ambergris.

 

Wet: There was a minute of sheer, utter gorgeousness, followed by a five minute window of sheer panic that involved me screaming "No, no, don't go to cat pee!!". Just before the point of no return, though, this one decided to take pity on me - the mint and ambergris took over again, and something underneath started to remind me of Kingsport, even though it's salty where this one is sweet.

 

Dry: After the cat pee scare, it dried very quickly. That's when the seaweed really came out to play, and this became the most beautiful, rounded, intoxicating aquatic I've ever tried. The honey behaved itself, lurking in the background with just enough presence to cut the powdery-effect of the ambergris. I looked like a lunatic at work, stopping every couple minutes to huff my wrist like an addict in withdrawal.

 

After a mad hunt, I have finally scored a bottle of this, and they'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.

Edited March 5, 2009 by freneticfloetry

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

OMG!!!! I knew I *had to* track down a bottle of this and buy it based on both love of the image and the scent notes listed. I expected this to be amazing, and it still managed to exceed my expectations and blow me away!! It is a fantastic representation of the Edo-era tentacle porn...It smells sexy and flushed with skin musk and honey, but also aquatic in a mysterious, deep sea sort of a way that conjures images of octopi and is radically different from the ocean spray aquatics of Thalassa and the masculine ocean doom and gloom vibe of Cthulu. I'm glad this one is no longer available, because I would break my budget and buy 8 bottles of it right now if I could!! Very unique and unlike any other BPALs around...this baby is in a category of its own! So so sexy!

[Dianora]

I went through a mini-aquatic craze after huffing the hell out of Undertow, and during that time scored a bottle of this from E-bay. I'm not a big honey fan, but the lure of another aquatic mint with seaweed was too much to ignore. I've had this bottle for a couple months, and every once in awhile the right mood will hit and I'll dig it out and slather it on.

 

In the bottle, this smells sweet, minty and slightly salty. It is very aquatic and almost masculine, but sweet enough to be unisex. On the skin, the honey comes out and blends smoothly with the mint and seaweed, giving it a salty-sweet smell. It goes through a dangerous phase where it smells a little off, but luckily it is very short lived. When it dries, it's silky honey with a dash of sweet mint and the barest hint of ambergris. It's lovely and clean without being astringent, and definitely sweet and sexy enough for a woman to wear.

 

In short, it's a beautifully blended scent that deserves a lot of love.

[BuxomM]

It smells like the salty sea but a bit sweet and more complex. I think I smell seaweed. something aquatic and a bit green and sweet.

Edited March 16, 2010 by BuxomM

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

there's mint in this? and honey? those are almost always dealbreakers for me, but somehow this is really gentle and soft and lovely.

like halfway between King of Diamonds and Spirits of the Dead. but considering i've had this bottle for over a year and never even opened it until today... i think it is time to go live with someone else.

[Geminirubyshoes]

This is freakin' fabulous. A seaweed smell I can wear besides anything with the word Cthulu in it makes me happy. The mint is subtle but the honey, DAMN! for some reason anything with honey sticks to me for hours upon hours. I am going to have this bottle forever because one drop lasts all day on me. Definately something you have to commit to. However, even if it didn't smell good on me I would keep it anyway just for the label

[Schmoozy]

 

This is one of those blends where 1 note is so damn iffy on your skin, that you can't decide whether you absolutely love it or can't really

stand it.

Seaweed, mint and ambergris are notes of love. Honey can be so-so. However, as time rolls by, scents age, tastes change...you know the drill. Now that a couple of years have passed and I didn't buy a bottle, I am pulling out the decant to re-test and of course it is stunning. Airy, light, aquatic, minty, perfumey and the honey. OMG the honey note. It is so freaking sexy. Thick, golden honey, seaweed and ambergris. It's perfect, and I'll treasure my decant as long as I can.

[gingiemay]

When first applied, the white mint is dominant. It's not a sharp, spearmint--esque mint, but a gentle minty fresh vibe that compliments the ambergris and honey. On the dry-down, the white mint disappears leaving a sweet ambergris behind that is barely baby powdery. Gorgeous. There's something a little thick here, I think it's the seaweed.

[patina]

I got this thinking honey would help the aquatics work on me. I like kelp, but I'm put off by overly-soapyness.

 

On: I can smell some nice kelp and ambergris floating around, but on top of that it's soap. Pure detergent with that acrid-soapiness I can practically taste coated with overly-sweet honey. Moreover, it clings to me and will not let up. Get off! I don't like you that way! No! Bad Tentacles!

Edited February 27, 2010 by patina

[voodoocatwoman]

Meh. I have had this tucked away in a box since I bought it. I hoped for much more than it turned out to be. There's a sharpness that pierces through my nostrils and right into my brain. I definitely smell honey but it's been sitting in sea water.

 

Maybe I don't like ambergris. Who knows?

[donnatron]

Bottle: Salty ambergris and light mint. Hint of honey sweetness.

 

Wet: Wet it smells... very.... post-coital. Not necessarily a true approximation but the first time I put this on and sniffed it wet I was like, "People will think they know what I've been doing!" It's very salty and a little sweet and the honey warms it up while the mint cools it down. It's paradoxical but works together very well.

 

Dry: The honey warms up a bit more and wrangles that salty sweaty scent down a little so this is still sexy and borderline inappropriate but doesn't smell like I just had a quicky in the coat closet. It's primarily honey and ambergris with a hint of aquatic seaweed and tempered and sharpened by the mint. It's wonderfully simple but that simplicity creates a scent larger than itself. It's an exotic, fresh, cool summery sort of scent that feels meant for hot, sultry evenings. Sexy as hell but not overpowering and somehow that light, almost clean note from the mint makes it even more hella sexy. Yeah. Hella.

 

Throw: Moderate.

 

Overall: It took me a really, really long time to warm up to this one. It is incredibly unusual and yet still one of the sexiest scents I've smelled in the BPAL oeuvre. One of those scents that should be tried for the pure experience, even if you're uninterested in wearing it as a scent.