Longing

[nineveh]

LONGING
Matthew Arnold

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again.
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to others as to me.

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth.
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say My love! why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again.
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Rose geranium, frankincense, Ceylon cinnamon, golden musk, bay rum, and bois du rose.

My initial impression is that this is a dark, spicy scent. It also strikes me as complex, with opposing qualities manifested together. It's a little bit green and sharp, but also soft and sweetly smoky--this aspect reminds me a lot of Priala. The cinnamon in this is wonderful, and nothing like red hots or cinnamon gum.

I really like the fuzzy undertones of this scent, but the top prickly layer is somewhat offputting to me. I'm still not sure if rose geranium or bay rum work that well on me.

I'd recommend this to fans of spicy dark green/brown scents like Priala, King of Clubs, Mad Meg, Death of Autumn, or Troll.

[alicia_stardust]

LONGING

 

Longing is a gorgeously deep, layered blend. It smells complex and dark in the bottle, with a top note of cinnamon.

 

As the oil dries I can smell the rose geranium and cinnamon first. The cinnamon is smooth and soft. While it is spicy, it comes across more as a warmth than a fiery heat. I find that the frankincense both darkens and sweetens things while the golden musk and almost creamy bay rum sort of warm and "round out" the blend. Something about this has a glow to it and it brings to mind flickering candle light in a darkened room. It's lovely.

 

It doesn't take long for this blend to darken a bit. The rose geranium and bois du rose are still noticeable, but the focus turns to more of the musk, resin, and cinnamon for a short while. There is an overall air of sensuality and roundness, and I think this blend is breathtaking.

 

I get a strong throw, average wear, and the cinnamon does not burn. This is definitely a keeper.

[quartz]

I really like this. It reminds me a lot of Faustus (cinnamon-incense-floral) but is lighter, cleaner, and more complex. I get the comparison to Priala, too, but again, there's more going on here, and I think it's the rose geranium and bay rum that make it less deep and more balanced. No one note is overpowering. To me the sweetness puts it very slightly on the feminine side of gender-neutral.

 

ETA: The boyfriend says it smells powdery but not bad. *shrug* Smelling it again, I can see how it might come off that way but is not my first impression.

Edited February 20, 2008 by quartz

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is cinnamon, peppermint, incense.....hrmmmm...

 

once applied...ZomG....cinnamon bay rum and resinous....this is one that will age to

something insanely gorgeous...i may need an extra bottle...this one won't

last that long

[rconklin]

In the imp, the smell was strong and somewhat astringent--I've had greanium essential oil before, and it reminded me of that. There was also something eucalyptus like to it...(like it might clear out my sinuses).

 

As soon as I swiped the wand across my wrist, however, the astringent quality changed. There was a very soft floral note woven into this incredibly complex smell of incense (probably the frankincense and cinnamon). It was sharp and soft at the same time, but very subtle--though not at all weak. My boyfriend could smell it from across the room.

 

The musky-ness began to come through as it dried...though I'm not sure if I was getting the rum at all (I'm still not sure what everything smells like).

 

I was so excited! It was a truly lovely scent. About five minutes after application I excitedly asked my roomate to smell me. "It smells like baby powder...but with a kick.."

 

I smelled my wrist again. Sadly, the lovely smell of Longing (sharp and deep) had transformed into Grandma's powder room. It wasn't a BAD powder, but it was definitly powder. Foo. Perhaps I should think of investing in a scent locket, because it really is a beautiful one, until it interacts with my body chemistry.

[naeelah]

My nose is currently broken (have a cold), so I will have to update this review later, but I think I'm getting a good first impression of this. This was such an intriguing blend on paper. Rose geranium is very light and feminine, and I thought cinnamon seemed like an excellent balance to that.

 

Wet, it's a very light and clean scent -- lots of rose geranium and bay rum, making it a light, cool, floral scent with a slight...after-shave like quality (but in a nice way).

 

As it dries, a hint of cinnamon comes out. I had hoped that this would be less intense than regular cinnamon, and I've got my wish. It's a light, warm spice, without going overboard and smelling like a Red Hot candy. Perhaps imagine the scent that wafts when you open a container of cinnamon sticks -- not as peppery as the stick itself, just a gentle wave of spice. This is what I wish all cinnamon smelled like (in perfumes). The rosewood isn't a dominant quality, it's a base note in the truest sense. So far I'm not picking out any musk.

 

The longer it dries, the stronger the frankincense gets. After an hour, it's a much richer, smokier scent. I would call the frankincense the dominant note at this point, with hints of cinnamon, lightened by the geranium and bay rum.

 

I love the way this realizes the poem: wistful dreams bringing the hope of something more...substantial. It's a clean but rich blend, and I'd call it gender neutral. Lovely!

Edited February 29, 2008 by naeelah

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Longing puts me in mind of Wanderlust blends. For instance, Baghdad, Bengal.

 

The geranium gives it a perceptible herbal touch and the bay rum a wayfaring, masculine feel.

 

It is very nice and wearable.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Heavenlyrabbit

[LauraB]

This is pretty but I am burning slightly where I applied it. This never happens to me normally, so I'm guessing my skin is drier than usual and all I need is moisturiser, but it is putting me off buying a bottle...

 

Scent is cinnamon over woods with something herbal and fresh, almost minty (I'm guessing that's the geranium) and a slight masculine edge (I'm guessing that's what bay rum does when it doesn't amp to high heaven). It's very unisex in all.

[dronzeka]

Okay, this is unlike my usual scent so this is going to be a pants review, for the sake of knowing what this smells like, but I thought I'd put something down anyway...

 

My initial response is OOOOOoooo! I like this! Spicy, dark, complex - if what I love in here is Bay Rum I'm really bummed I passed on Frederic...

 

Initially I get a lot of rose geranium, which I love. Also the cinnamon. I think as it dries I'm getting more of the frankincense and bay rum. Interestingly, there's almost a wintergreen-y overtone to it?

 

I like this. It's definitely a more unisex scent (which is what makes it odd for me, but if you like the unisex, definitely try this!). I might try it in a locket to see if I can keep that gorgeous rose geranium around longer!

[blu°]

This'll be another review with far-fetched comparisons (It seems like I'm writing a lot of these lately.).

 

Longing to my nose and on my skin when fresh is a family member to Black Lace, that kind of smooth, elegant unisex incense blend with a Victorian vibe. It's spicy and warm yet keeps a refined aura that accounts for the notion of elegance. However, when it has settled for an hour, it goes a bit powdery and for whatever reason reminds me of White Phoenix.

 

Of course it doesn't really smell like White Phoenix but the combination of notes comes across as some note in WP to my nose.

 

When I sniff closely I can smell cinnamon and bay rum, rosewood and what must be the musk.

 

The rose geranium is either not very strong on my skin or I don't know what it smells like, as I can't detect any obvious floral in Longing. The whole scent has a slight rose-ish tint (colour-association-wise). Like a beige-brown-rosé with vanilla-coloured highlights.

 

I like this very much and am considering a bottle purchase.

 

ETA: Doing a side-by-side comparison with Black Lace and - of course - they don't smell similar at all, albeit both represent a similar type of scent (see above) for me, when not sniffed next to each other. Just thought I'd add that to prevent others from rushing to buy their bottle of Longing and then being cross with me when they don't see any resemblance.

 

Where BL is the Snake Oil of smooth, elegant unisex incense blends with a Victorian vibe, Longing is the herbal-spicy-woody-and-rosé one of the same class to my nose.

 

I do get more of the mintiness that's supposed to be the geranium now.

Edited March 8, 2008 by blu°

[taramarie]

"Longing" is my favorite poem ever, so of course I had to get a bottle. On me, it's a spicy rose scent with the barest hint of rum. Amazingly, the cinnamon doesn't burn. I love it.

[angharad]

Soap with a bit of cinnamon. That's the only note I can pick out. This is the soapiest scent I've had on my skin in a long time. The longer it's on, the more the cinnamon comes out, but there's definitely still a very strong soap behind it.

[slave1]

LONGING

 

In Bottle: Rose incense

 

On Skin: This is a masculine, musky, resinous blend with rose as the dominant note. The rose makes it a bit soapy in tone, while the frankincense gives it a very dark and resinous base. The bay rum is boozy yet masculine. The cinnamon is very light, offering just the slightest warm spice. The golden musk indeed brightens the scent, but also gives it a nice soft edge. I am normally not a fan of rose, but I may actually like this on a man. I’d also like to use it as a room spray, it’s quite comforting and gives a feel of security with the manliness it invokes. It has a light to moderate throw and great staying power.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle smells a bit like dryer sheets, only richer. and that doesn't sound very nice, but it's quite sweet and understated and clean

wet on skin laundry detergent and the richness is gone.

dry on skin the bay rum peers out along with the musk and... maybe the cinnamon? the richness has returned and the soapy smell is evening out. still far too soapy on me to wear, unfortunately. it's like lever 2000 or something.

[alterosen]

Gorgeous in the vial; nasty strong baby powder on my wrist.

Sometimes cinnamon behaves this way & ruins a blend for me by turning super sweet & amping like crazy. If only it would stay smelling like cinnamon - I'll take redhots any day over this stupid powder!

Sigh.

Hours later there's a hint of musk & rum.

Edited March 13, 2008 by alterosen

[yeahbutnobut]

Longing

 

In the imp: smells like a golden powdery sweet musk with a hint of geranium.

Wet on skin: oh, I like this, soft sweet musk contrasting with warm spices and herbs.

Dry on skin: mmm! This is really nice! It’s not what I expected at all, I thought this would be a rather masculine scent from the notes, but it smells beautifully unisex and a lot gentler than expected. The golden musk is the star of the scent, a warm and sweet powdery musk which glows, and has hints of amber. fringing it are notes of rosewood (a particularly nice rosewood), frankincense, geranium and a hint of bay rum which is nice and herbal in here. I also smell a touch of cinnamon, but not too much. The geranium is fantastic, reminds me of the same scent I got from the Stress Relief Elixir, but not as strong. And I do love the golden resinous warmth of the frankincense.

After a while: the golden musk is fantastic in here. The scent is now dominated by the rosewood and the musk, with a layer of subtle spice to it. This is such a lovely fragrance…there’s something cosy yet luminous about the musk, and the rosewood reminds me of that note in the Winter of our Discontent, slightly spiced and a bit rosy, but not floral. The scent becomes a gorgeous and contrasting scent of mainly rosewood and musk, the wood being dark and rich and slightly bitter (in a good way), and the musk being light and sweet and powdery with a hint of something like amber. Actually, I think I know why this musk smells familiar to me…it reminds me of the musk in Morocco. I may be the only one who thinks this but the rosewood-musk reminds me of the sandalwood-musk in Morocco.

Verdict: this one really surprised me…I thought this would either be too masculine or really beautiful, and thankfully it’s the latter. I love how strong-and how wonderful-the musk note in here is, it reminds me, at times, of Morocco, only a bit more powdery and with a rosewood note replacing the sandalwood. The cinnamon warms it up nicely and the frankincense and geranium are so lovely in here. I don’t get any bay rum here, just a glowing, cosy and cuddly scent of luminous musk framed by woodsy-herbal-spicy notes. I love this one.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes, I have a bottle.

If you like this, try: Winter of our Discontent, Eclipse, Resurrection of the Flesh, Faustus, Parentalia, Fascinum, Morocco, Lyonesse

[The_Merf]

Initially I smell a rose--a velvety, dried rose, not fresh--with a spike of cinnamon. However, the cinnamon goes away rather quickly and gives way to a floral/musk/incense/rum combination. This is an insanely hard scent for me to review because I'm having a terrible time picking out all the different notes. Like the reviewer above me, I think this blend does sort of remind me of Morocco, though with a different kind of kick. This really is a very unique blend--I'm going to have to test it again side-by-side with Morocco to see if there is enough of a difference to warrant a bottle, but the cinnamon and...something...give this a dusty rose color in my mind, while Morocco has always been off-white or linen. Maybe the blends use similar--but not identical--musks? At any rate, an interesting oil, to be sure!

[slittlecrowrussell]

I reviewed this and the review disappeared. Weird... Well, here goes again...

 

I was so sure that this one would be the spring scent I've been looking for, but alas, GERANIUM! I thought that perhaps the geranium would settle down and waited for the dry-down or some sort of morphing to happen. Nothing. 2 hours later I still smelled like nothing more interesting than a great big potted rose geranium sitting on a windowsill soaking up sunshine. This isn't a bad thing (esp. cause rose geranium is a good aromatherapy for PMS and other female hormonal issues), it's just that I like to wear fragrances that have a little more complexity. Usually I totally amp the other notes that are in this, I don't know why my skin is going this to me with this one!

[Wwindy]

Wow, object lesson in testing at various times of the month... Three days before my period, Longing was a muddled, murky, cologne-y mess. Three days after my period, it's a delight!

 

Fresh on, there's a bit of an astringent edge, but that dies down very quickly. Dry, this is a warm, well-blended musk with incense depth and lovely rosy overtones (the rosewood is fabulous -- I can't wear straight rose at all, but this is great!). I can't really detect any cinnamon.

 

Good thing I tested again -- I'll definitely be ordering a bottle of this!

[Blood onmy hands]

I love rose geranium single note, but there's something off and soapy-floral about Longing, so I'm not sure what's going on there. Maybe it's the 'bois du rose' going sour or something. Anyhow.

 

Longing starts off as sharp, sour floral and then morphs into baby powder and sharp cinnamon on my skin. The bay rum seems to just amp up the sharp spiciness. After 45 minutes or so, the spice calms down and this is a light, musky baby powder. This would probably be beautiful with the right skin chemistry, but I definitely don't have the right chemistry. The musk goes to baby powder, and I don't love powdery scents...

[savage_rose]

This smells strong and spicy, but there's also something light and uplifting about it, almost wintergreen-minty. I was lucky enough to smell Stress Relief Elixir at a MnS recently, and it reminds me of that for some reason. It's just bracing, yet extremely refreshing. So nice!

[Czarina]

Hmm. Something about this smells like conventional perfume to me. I think it must be the bay rum.

 

This smells mostly like cinnamon and bay rum to me. Maybe I'm just missing something here but I am simply not able to detect layers of complexity.

[LunaClaire]

Another scent that I sadly overlooked (missed, actually) until I tried it at last night's LA willcall. I turned to labbie Kathy and said, "whoa - this is amazing!" She nodded knowingly. And it's interesting that the word wouldn't leap out at me from the computer screen because the concept of longing is such a strongly personal one for me.

 

Bottle: This the interesting part - I get practically NO scent. Almost nothing at all! Maybe the hint a hint of a bois de rose - but I REALLY have to concentrate. And I like that: it's as if to suggest that longing has no scent - is beyond scent.

 

Wet: The rose geranium and bois de rose are most apparent in a subtle shimmery envelope of the golden musk. The cinnamon creates the shimmer I believe. And it stays that way for a while, very much like The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, only TEoST is more radiant, and Longing is somehow more wistful (the bay rum perhaps?) However the similarity makes total sense, as I've found the the qualities, longing and ecstasy to be one and the same - two sides of the same coin. Only the former is a contraction, and the latter an expansion. But really, the same quality.

 

Dry: And on me, it remains the beautiful shimmery cinnamon, musky rose scent. There's something clean about it, but too shimmery and sweet to really be soapy. And there it remains.

 

Lovely scent, and even though it didn't leap out at me from the computer screen, it did so at willcall - perhaps because the letters are so big -and I'm glad I picked up a bottle. Like yeahbutnobut, I find it also similar to Eclipse, the same ethereal quality, which I'm guessing is the cinnamon/musk; but I find an even closer resemblance to The Ecstasy of St. Theresa.

[twilighteyes]

I can't really smell this in the bottle.

 

On my skin, it's a little spicy but a bright spicy instead of being dark. I think the bay and the musk are keeping the frankincense and the cinnamon down. It has a men's cologne feel to it (probably the bay rum.)

 

Will have to try again later.

[Miss Lynx]

It's funny - several of the scents in the massive Lupercalia update that I was sure I'd love turned out not to be so great on me. But this one I thought might work, might not, hard to tell... And it's really nice.

 

When first applied, the bay rum kind of jumps out and makes it smell like a men's cologne. But then it settles in a little and turns into this warm, beautiful, musky spicy scent that, while definitely not traditionally feminine, isn't necessarily strictly masculine either. This could work on either gender.

 

Trouble is, I'm very back and forth about whether it works on me. It's a lovely scent, but there's something about it that's a bit... not-me. Maybe it is that masculine edge from the bay rum, I don't know. When I first tried it (which is when I wrote the first part of this review), I thought "Bottle! Now!" But on repeated tries, I wasn't so sure. There's just that slight disconnect that keeps from being entirely at home with it...

 

Still, definitely a good one, and makes me wish my male partner were a little more interested in BPAL...

 

Grade: B