Wings of Azrael

[MiasmaResonance]

Azrael is the Angel of Death, marked as the last being to die in the Apocalypse. Though a harbinger of doom, his duties are an act of mercy: he curtails human life before world-weariness and despair destroys our spirits. Warm myrrh swirled with a bittersweet blend of violet, Lily of the Valley, juniper, cypess and cajeput.

In the bottle, I smell violet.
Although I'm pretty new to this, all I can smell is violet on my skin, as well. I don't think violet likes me, either.
This goes powdery on me as it dries down, and I'm pretty sure all I've managed to smell like is my grandmother. Florals hate me.

I had high hopes for this one, too..oh well..maybe a few uses for me and that's it..

[mxtine]

Florals and herbs. I don't like lily, it's so "old" to me. Violet is iffy especially with other florals. It's giving me a burning, tickly feeling in my throat. Must wash off.

[cinnamonster]

I received this as a frimp from the lab...I tested it without knowing what was in it. Had I known it was lily of the v, I might have passed it by, thankfully, I did not.

 

This smells slightly different with each sniff, like it flickers. I smell lily of the valley in a non overpowering kind of way, normally it drills into my brain, I smell myrrh, violets, but no cypress or cajeput, which I read has a smell like eucalyptus. None of that here...hurray. I hate eucalyptus the plant.

 

If this was a colour, it'd be the pinky-purple-green irridescence of a beetle back. I like it a lot.

[lookingglass]

I cannot believe I haven't tried this before: it's a well established GC with myrrh and violet, two notes I stalk! Whatever. It's beee-u-tiful. I love that cinnamonmel says "it fickers": The greenery and violet really flirt with each other here. It's sun-lit-forestry, like that, with the myrrh grounding it all in this soft, deep sweetness. I want this as incense! I want my SHEETS to smell like this. I will totally wear this when I want to feel clean as a breeze (violets always remind me of a Victorian bath).

[theseagrows]

got this as a frimp in a swap. at first, holy lily and cypress or? cajeput? i don't know, something green, sour and kind of herbal. this scent is very floral and strong on me with an herbal background. i am not liking it much. i think it's actually making me sneeze as well! ok, now that it's calmed down and the sour-herbal thing is gone, i am getting more violet. now it's pretty much violet and lily, and it's kind of nice, but ultimately, it is not a scent i would really wear.

[angelamaria]

In imp: this is a powdery-tart floral, with the violets and lilies more noticeable than the rest. Bittersweet is just about right.

 

Wet on skin: wow O_O it's gone all to powder on my skin immediately! This usually only happens with rose; I'm not entirely sure which is the culprit here. Everything else is pretty much overpowdered, er, I mean overpowered Sniffing (very) deeply, I can get the cypress as well as a floral--but it's too faint for me to distinguish which floral it is. It can very well be a blend of the "leftover" florals, or just one.

 

Dry: the powder has quieted down slightly, but still out in full force. Powdery violet, somewhat ticklish to my nose, but not a lot more. I thiiiiink I can get a little lily, and a little cypress, but at this point the notes are too washed out to be very sure what they are.

 

Verdict: nope, my skin doesn't like this.

[Circaea]

Wet, Wings of Azrael is soaring, beautiful, darkly floral and dramatic. It flutters down as it dries to something softer, like violets in a bouquet surrounded by incense. I love the name, and this scent is truly worthy of it.

[sessile]

starts off woody and with strong myrrh. juniper and cajeput (aka tea tree) bring a crispness and the florals remain in the background.

 

the wood backs off in the drydown. myrrh dominates, and the herbaceous note of the juniper and the almost eucalyptus quality of the tea tree comes through. florals round things off with a slight powder note.

 

would make a nice atmosphere spray. unfortunately do not like woody scents as perfumes, though.

 

edit: wore this on a chilly day, and it was an excellent match for the weather. the myrrh is a nice, comforting, warm incense-y smell to buffer against the cold, while the herb and floral notes still remind you that it's winter.

 

i might not really be able to wear this during other times of the year, but right now it's perfect.

Edited February 26, 2012 by sessile

[yakiguri]

Yup, this confirms that violet is a death note for me. On my skin Wings of Azrael is primarily a powdery floral mess, and while I like powderiness the violet is screechy and making my nose itch and my head ache. Off my skin, and into the swap/sales pile.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Sweet violets and a touch of deep myrrh

 

Drydown: Sweet, clean florals over a deep woodsy base. Soft and enchanting.

 

Dry: Juicy violet over cool woods and spicy myrrh. Fresh, sweet, and iridescent. It smells like an enchanted forest with faeries flitting about. Feminine in a happy, nature-loving sort of way.

 

 

 

Normally violet goes too sharp or too soapy or too powdery on me, but in this blend it is gorgeously sweet and delectable. The juniper and myrrh make for a perfect supporting cast and the lily never really shows up, which is a good thing in my book. I'm quite surprised by how lovely this is. It may actually become a favorite!

[sunlitgarden]

Violet usually doesn't work on me but most of the other notes in here sound good, so I'm going to at least sniff it...

 

Imp: Oh, this smells nice. It's a more powdery and sweet violet instead of the chemical-y bad violet I usually smell. And the myrrh is not too bitter. It's resinous, but still soft in a way.

 

On my skin, "bittersweet" is a good way to describe this. There's a woodiness here (cypress, I guess) but it's also softened by the florals. There's a bit of astringency that I attribute to the cajeput even though I'm not familiar with that note.

 

It's not really my style (I prefer orris blends to violet, for the most part, for that sweet and powdery note) but it is a nicely blended scent. It kinda makes my nose itch though...

Edited June 8, 2012 by sunlitgarden

[calivianya]

Violet usually turns to violet-scented candied play dough, so we'll see what happens, shall we?

 

Smelling this in the imp, this is cold in the same way that Veil is. I don't really mean chilly, I mean dark. Unfeeling. I get the violet and lily of the valley loud and clear. On my skin, something herbal in a bad way starts to come out. I think it's the cajeput - I don't think that's a note that agrees with me. That note may just be what ruined another BPAL for me not too long ago. It's bitter and spicy in a nasty cooking spices kind of way. This ends up being cold violet/lily plus nasty cooking spices, and I just sneezed six times in a row. I don't think this one is for me.

[impolight]

::: WINGS OF AZRAEL:::

 

Peculiar how some of these formulas will skate right on past you, ninja style. Well, at least Wings of Azrael has done this. This one showed up by way of frimpage and almost found a home in the tub o' Imps being hoarded for no good reason ;p. The forum was logged into on a just-in-casd basis and, lo and behold, no review? WHAT??? So the tub gets upended onto the table, the piles of Imps get clawed through repeatedly and stil... no Wings of Azrael.

After quick scansion of the notes bewilderment perches stubbornly. There is only goodness here... wait, what's Cajeput? (Oh... Tiger Balm? Really??) Now there is NO STOPPING.

From the Imp: A couple of deep sniffs were needed for reassurance. This was probably one of the first times that every note registered plainly... kind of like a child's painting of a rainbow. This is not to say the formula is at all primitive, on the contrary, it is wildly multifaceted. Ordinarily, the blends of several notes will merge to create surreal afftect. The surreal is achieved in Wings of Azrael with every note being clearly distinguishable from the others; The Violet and the Lily stand apart, the Myrrh glistens beautifully in stark relief, the Cypress stands as though in a new grove, the Juniper activates the salivary glands just shy of tonic water and a lime, and the Cajeput, well, yeah it IS kinda like Tiger Balm. In a great way!

On the Skin: Whoah. This is where the magic happens. Here the geometric patterns shatter and beautifl, undulating, non-Euclidean waves wash over.

Violet dominates this formula, and is beautifully enhanced by the other notes.

The Myrrh and the Cajeput slide seamlessly into a radically indecent intertwining that makes the Wings of Azrael shimmer provocatively. The Juniper would be next in line, creating a mythically verdant, paradisical canopy from under which anything is possible.

This is amazing!

On Her, the Wings of Azrael is a humming glissando that soul kisses every taste bud.

Oh Him, the Wings of Azrael is the kaleidoscopic cramp that originates from behind fluttering eyelids.

Olfactory platinum.

A 5 out of 5.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Ooh, violet! Very fresh and pretty.

Wet: The cypress and juniper are coming out. I also get something a bit spicy that reminds me of bay - I guess that must be the cajeput?

Dry: I actually really like this one. It's an interesting mic of sweetness (the myrrh), freshness (the florals), sharpness (the juniper and cyress) and spice (cajeput). I'll be keeping my imp about.

[greedygirl]

Wings of Azrael

 

In the imp- smells very sharp & floral

 

Wet- sharp violet and lily of the valley and very green ...not to my taste at this point. Contemplating scrubbing it off but decide to ride it out to see what develops

 

Drydown - Oh! Fairly quickly -something remarkable is starting to develop...a soft woodsy-ness creeping into the mix blunting the floral sharpness, becoming more complex and warm.

Hmm.... can not stop sniffing my wrist at this point

 

Maybe I do like this after all. In fact I may have to have a FB very soon.

 

Edited to add- Much as I enjoyed the middle phase of Wings of Azrael the final dry down was too powdery floral and had a spicy note that was a bit off (almost foody) so no to a big bottle..

Edited August 20, 2012 by greedygirl

[sisi33]

I so, so , SOOOO wanted to love this as on my skin when wet, and in the bottle it's Delicious! Absolutely gorgeous. AND it has amazing throw! But, somewhere in between the first and second hour, this turns into the ear medication that we had to put on my German Shepherd when she got infections. Defiantly not what one want's to be smelling like.

 

Before dry: 4/5

 

Afterwards: 1/5 Goodbye, previously elegant Imp, I will muss you!

[boomtownrat]

I got Wings of Azrael as a generous frimp from the Lab. On me, it's a slightly spicy floral with medium throw.

 

Unfortunately, this scent proved that violet is a note of doom for me. Violet has given me some form of headache, from ice pick to full-blown migraine, in three different scents, but it took two for me to suspect the culprit and this one for me to confirm it. This time I was prepared for the possibility and I think I've washed it off well enough in time.

 

If not for my violet sensitivity, I'd probably keep the imp and wear it occasionally. Florals aren't really my thing most of the time, but sometimes I'm in a floral mood and this would have fit the bill.

[sth0]

Smells like it might disappear at any moment which makes me think of the name, I suppose. I like that about it.

 

I do appreciate the gorgeous florals but it is sooo mellow on my skin that it has next to no sillage at all. I want to smell it! I applied near my decolletage and still, so wispy...

 

I love the combination of notes here! It is quite an interesting fragrance and has a little wood, a little spice (the juniper?), a lot of floral. However, the wimpy sillage/throw is annoying. I prefer a 3 to 4 out of 10 on the throw-meter and this is a 1 to 2. I had to take deep breaths to catch it from my wrist. It did have a lingering ghost, though.

 

It is possible it would be a great layering perfume but I am afraid anything I used would overpower it. I used an aquatic-heavy perfume over it after 3 hours and---yeah, it died

 

I suppose the world ends with a whimper, not a bang.

[Wheatflower]

I received this as a free imp with an order from the lab.

 

In the bottle: A floral scent, mostly violet.

 

Wet: Violet and lily of the valley mix.

 

Dry: A light, shapeless floral. I like it, but it's fleeting: after about an hour or two it is gone. I regret this, as I'd love to have a good violet scent.

[russalka]

Drying down:

 

Very strong, fresh, spiky. It's the flowers (violet and lily) closely followed by the cypress/juniper with the sweetness of the myrrh on the last place.

 

Dry: Now it's going powdery on me, however the flowers stay strong. My skin seems to amp them ... a whole lot. I feel a little right now, that's how strong they are. Not good for sensitive people. Might have to wash this one off.

 

Nothing for me.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - A slightly bitter green floral

 

Wet on me - Soft powdery, but still slighty green, florals

 

Dry on me - A faint green floral

 

Overall - Flowers don't really do it for me and this was no exception

[nihil]

In vial: Violet and lilly, with a juniper tang and cypress/myrrh undertone.

Wet: Lilly balanced by myrrh and cypress, with a slight juniper twang coming through.

Dry: Flowers and myrrh.

 

Normally I'm not a fan of floral scents, but the myrrh and cypress balance this one out.

It's not a sexy or enticing smell, but it's soothing and ideal for work.

[nihil]

Double post.

Edited November 1, 2013 by nihil

[nihil]

Triple post.

Edited November 1, 2013 by nihil

[Heaven_Star]

In the Imp: Violet with cypress, juniper and something green. There's a little bit of myrrh in the background.

 

Wet: Green and white. Woods and myrrh, not a lot of floral. It’s almost off-putting-ly green, like a sour note? Not sure if that’s the myrrh going strange or the cajeput being a wood that doesn’t work on me. Lily of the Valley is in there but swamped. There's no violet around.

 

Dry: The over-the-top green wood scent falls back a little bit and the violet/myrrh/lily of the valley sweetens up. It's starting to come good but the green in just hanging around over all of it. I think I’m getting a headache...

 

I ended up having to wash this off. It was an imp I kept after a testing day that worked on me, but I must have mixed it up with something else because this wasn't great on me. I doubt it's the violet, because that works on me in other blends, I'm blaming the cajeput or the myrrh which can be hit and miss for me. This one's going into the swap pile.